U.S. patent application number 11/386212 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-27 for controllable electromagnetically responsive assembly of self resonant bodies.
This patent application is currently assigned to Searete LLC, a limited liability corporation of the State of Delaware. Invention is credited to W. Daniel Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. JR. Wood.
Application Number | 20070223866 11/386212 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38533528 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070223866 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hillis; W. Daniel ; et
al. |
September 27, 2007 |
Controllable electromagnetically responsive assembly of self
resonant bodies
Abstract
An electromagnetically responsive element includes an
arrangement of controllable self-resonant bodies, such as atoms or
quantum dots that form an effective dielectric constant, typically
at or near a resonance.
Inventors: |
Hillis; W. Daniel; (Encino,
CA) ; Hyde; Roderick A.; (Livermore, CA) ;
Myhrvold; Nathan P.; (Medina, WA) ; Tegreene;
Clarence T.; (Bellevue, WA) ; Wood; Lowell L.
JR.; (Livermore, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SEARETE LLC;CLARENCE T. TEGREENE
1756 - 114TH AVE., S.E.
SUITE 110
BELLEVUE
WA
98004
US
|
Assignee: |
Searete LLC, a limited liability
corporation of the State of Delaware
|
Family ID: |
38533528 |
Appl. No.: |
11/386212 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11386211 |
Mar 22, 2006 |
|
|
|
11386212 |
Mar 22, 2006 |
|
|
|
11386227 |
Mar 22, 2006 |
|
|
|
11386212 |
Mar 22, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
385/122 ;
385/129; 385/31; 385/39; 385/4; 385/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02F 1/01791 20210101;
G02F 1/3515 20130101; G02F 2202/30 20130101; G02F 1/35 20130101;
B82Y 20/00 20130101; G02B 1/00 20130101; G02F 1/01716 20130101;
G02F 1/3517 20130101; G02F 2202/32 20130101; G02F 2203/15
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
385/122 ;
385/129; 385/031; 385/039; 385/004; 385/005 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/00 20060101
G02B006/00; G02F 1/295 20060101 G02F001/295; G02B 6/26 20060101
G02B006/26; G02B 6/42 20060101 G02B006/42 |
Claims
1. A method of controlling propagation of light energy: comprising:
intercepting a portion of the light energy with a set of self
resonant bodies responsive to the intercepted portion of the light
energy, producing a first light energy pattern with the set of self
resonant bodies; and adjusting selected properties of one or more
self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant bodies to produce
a second light energy pattern with the set of self resonant bodies
responsive to the intercepted portion of the light energy.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting selected properties of
one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant bodies
includes changing a polarizability of the selected one or more self
resonant bodies.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting selected properties of
one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant bodies
includes applying an electric field to the selected one or more
self resonant bodies.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting selected properties of
one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant bodies
includes adjusting oscillatory properties of the selected one or
more self resonant bodies.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting selected properties of
one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant bodies
includes applying control electromagnetic energy to the selected
one or more self resonant bodies.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the light energy has a portion at
a predetermined frequency and wherein the control electromagnetic
energy has a frequency greater than the predetermined
frequency.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the self resonant bodies
has a respective oscillatory frequency, and wherein adjusting
selected properties of one or more self resonant bodies in the set
of self resonant bodies includes changing the respective
oscillatory frequencies.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting selected properties of
the one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant
bodies includes reducing an amount of interaction between the
selected one or more self resonant bodies and the electromagnetic
energy.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the selected properties
of the one or more self resonant bodies in the set of self resonant
bodies includes reducing polarizability of the one or more self
resonant bodies.
10. An adjustable apparatus comprising: an array of self-resonant
bodies arranged in a first configuration; and an adjustment
mechanism coupled to selected ones of the self resonant bodies in
the array of self resonant bodies, the adjustment mechanism being
responsive to an input signal to change positions of the selected
ones of the self resonant bodies to produce a second configuration
of the array of self resonant bodies.
11. The adjustable apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of the self
resonant bodies includes a primary oscillation frequency
corresponding to a primary wavelength, and the adjustment mechanism
is of a type that changes positions of the selected ones of the
self resonant bodies by distances less than the primary
wavelength.
12. The adjustable apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first
configuration corresponds to a first response pattern to
electromagnetic energy.
13. The adjustable apparatus of claim 12 further including
detection circuitry positioned to intercept electromagnetic energy
passing through the array of self resonant bodies.
14. The adjustable apparatus of claim 13 wherein the detection
circuitry is responsive to intercepted electromagnetic energy to
produce a signal corresponding to an actual response pattern of the
array of self resonant bodies.
15. The adjustable apparatus of claim 14 wherein the adjustment
mechanism is responsive to the signal corresponding to an actual
response pattern of the array of self resonant bodies to produce
the second configuration of the array of self resonant bodies.
16. The adjustable apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first
configuration corresponds to a selected first response to
electromagnetic energy and the second configuration corresponds to
a selected second response to the electromagnetic energy different
from the first response to electromagnetic energy.
17. The adjustable apparatus of claim 16 wherein the selected first
response to electromagnetic energy corresponds to a first focal
length and the second selected response corresponds to a second
focal length different from the first focal length.
18. The adjustable apparatus of claim 16 wherein the selected first
response to electromagnetic energy corresponds to a selected
optical response, further including a detection circuit of a type
that produces a signal corresponding to a difference between an
actual optical response and the selected optical response.
19. The adjustable apparatus of claim 17 wherein the adjustment
mechanism is responsive to the signal corresponding to a difference
between an actual optical response and the selected optical
response.
20. The adjustable apparatus of claim 10 wherein the adjustment
mechanism is configured to change spatial separations of the
selected ones of the self resonant bodies.
21. The adjustable apparatus of claim 10 wherein the adjustment
mechanism is configured to change planarity of the selected ones of
the self resonant bodies.
22. An electromagnetic apparatus, comprising: an array of
oscillators each having a respective central frequency
corresponding to an expected frequency of electromagnetic energy,
the oscillators being arranged in a pattern corresponding to a
selected spatial distribution of effective permittivity at the
expected frequency of electromagnetic energy; and an adjustment
mechanism coupled to the array of oscillators and responsive to an
input signal to adjust the spatial distribution of effective
permittivity at the expected frequency of electromagnetic
energy.
23. The electromagnetic apparatus of claim 22 wherein the
adjustment mechanism includes a source of electromagnetic radiation
aligned to provide the electromagnetic radiation to one or more of
the oscillators in the array of oscillators.
24. The electromagnetic apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of
electromagnetic radiation is of a type that produces the
electromagnetic radiation at a control frequency substantially
equal to the expected frequency of electromagnetic energy.
25. The electromagnetic apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of
electromagnetic radiation is of a type that produces the
electromagnetic radiation at a control frequency lower than the
expected frequency.
26. The electromagnetic apparatus of claim 23 wherein the source of
electromagnetic radiation is of a type that produces the
electromagnetic radiation at a control frequency higher than to the
expected frequency.
27. The electromagnetic apparatus of claim 26 wherein each of the
oscillators includes a response range including the central
frequency, and wherein the control frequency is within the response
range.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to and claims the benefit
of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the
following listed application(s) (the "Related Applications") (e.g.,
claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional
patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC .sctn.119(e)
for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent,
grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related
Application(s)).
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] 1. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements,
the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of
United States Patent Application No. [To be assigned by the USPTO],
entitled ELECTROMAGNETICALLY RESPONSIVE ELEMENT WITH SELF RESONANT
BODIES, naming W. Daniel Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Nathan P.
Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as
inventors, filed substantially contemporaneously herewith, which is
currently co-pending, or is an application of which a currently
co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing
date.
[0003] 2. For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements,
the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of
United States Patent Application No. [To be assigned by the USPTO],
entitled LAYERED ELECTROMAGNETICALLY RESPONSIVE ASSEMBLY, naming W.
Daniel Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T.
Tegreene, and Lowell L. Wood, Jr., as inventors, filed
substantially contemporaneously herewith, which is currently
co-pending, or is an application of which a currently co-pending
application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. The
United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to the
effect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent
applicants reference both a serial number and indicate whether an
application is a continuation or continuation-in-part. Stephen G.
Kunin, Benefit of Prior-Filed Application, USPTO Official Gazette
Mar. 18, 2003, available at
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/og/2003/week11/patbene.htm.
The present applicant entity has provided above a specific
reference to the application(s)from which priority is being claimed
as recited by statute. Applicant entity understands that the
statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does
not require either a serial number or any characterization, such as
"continuation" or "continuation-in-part," for claiming priority to
U.S. patent applications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, applicant
entity understands that the USPTO's computer programs have certain
data entry requirements, and hence applicant entity is designating
the present application as a continuation-in-part of its parent
applications as set forth above, but expressly points out that such
designations are not to be construed in any way as any type of
commentary and/or admission as to whether or not the present
application contains any new matter in addition to the matter of
its parent application(s).
[0004] All subject matter of the Related Applications and of any
and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications
of the Related Applications is incorporated herein by reference to
the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0005] The present application relates, in general, to materials,
methods and structures for interacting with electromagnetic
fields.
BACKGROUND
[0006] Typical optical and similar systems often employ refraction
to control the propagation or distribution of excitation energy.
For example, FIG. 1 shows refraction of a ray of light 90 in the
visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum at a top interface
92 and bottom interface 94 between a material 96 having index of
refraction n=1 and a material 98 having index of refraction n=1.5.
Due to the difference in index of refraction between the two
materials 96, 98, the ray of light 90 bends at the interfaces 96,
98 between the materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0007] FIG. 1 is diagrammatic representation of refraction at
boundaries.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a representation of linewidth and frequency of an
oscillator.
[0009] FIG. 3 is diagrammatic representation of an array of
self-resonant bodies.
[0010] FIG. 4 is diagrammatic representation of quantum levels of a
self-resonant body.
[0011] FIG. 5 is diagrammatic representation of a series of layers
of optical element arrays.
[0012] FIG. 6 is diagrammatic representation of an interferometric
structure.
[0013] FIG. 7 is an isometric representation of an array of optical
elements on a substrate.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of an optical
lattice and selected self resonant bodies.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the
drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components,
unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments
described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not
meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other
changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of
the subject matter presented here.
[0016] The initial portion of this description relates primarily to
the underlying physical rules and design parameters of systems,
elements and apparatuses. The discussion herein will refer to
optical effects and optical energy, as this is one range of
interest and is a convenient reference for the underlying theory.
Moreover, many of the atomic structures have natural frequencies in
optical ranges. However, the analysis and illustrative embodiments
herein are not necessarily limited to operation at visible, near
visible or even optical frequencies. In some structures, such as
manmade structures, the oscillators may operate at RF frequencies
or even lower frequencies; and the action of oscillators is not
limited to operation at or below frequencies traditionally
considered to be optical frequencies. Moreover, much of the
analysis herein can be extended to non-electromagnetic
applications, including those involving phononic structures and
designs.
[0017] Also, in this disclosure, the term "visible" light can
relate to so-called "near-visible" light such as that in the near
infrared, infra-red, far infrared and the near and far ultra-violet
spectrums.
[0018] Turning to a general discussion of interactions and
properties of various structures, with respect to interactions of
atomic or discrete structures and electromagnetic energy, an atomic
or other type of resonance, shown in FIG. 2, may be characterized
by its quality factor (Q), where Q ~ .omega. 0 .DELTA. .times.
.times. .omega. , ##EQU1## where .omega..sub.0 is the resonant
frequency and .DELTA..omega. is the half-width of the resonance,
where the half-width is the width of the resonance at half of its
maximum value. In many naturally occurring materials .omega..sub.0
is within the optical range. In many materials, atomic structures
have a relatively large half-width and therefore a low Q (e.g., in
a range from about L-10), so the corresponding index of refraction
is not highly wavelength dependent but tends to vary slowly with
the wavelength of incoming radiation.
[0019] Some atomic structures and other self-resonant bodies have a
larger Q (e.g., in a range from about 100 to 1,000) or other
structures have a high Q (e.g., on the order of 1,000 to 10,000),
including some with high Q in the visible part of the
electromagnetic spectrum. In either the high Q, low Q or other
cases, the atomic structures or other self resonant bodies can
operate as oscillators that respond to selected resonant
frequencies. The description herein will consider general cases of
responses of oscillators, such as these self-resonant bodies.
[0020] For purposes of the following discussion, references will be
made to classical, semiclassical, and quantum analyses, processes,
theories, and other matters. As used herein, the context and
analysis will typically indicate the mode of reference; however,
the following is a simplified guide to the usage. Classical and
semiclassical electromagnetic theory and quantum theory are
commonly used generalized classifications of physics analysis and
one of skill in the art will understand the following to be general
categorizations and should not be considered limiting. In fact, in
many cases, systems may be considered to be relevant to, or
enveloped by one, two, or even all three of the categories, and
thus the general categorizations should not be considered limiting.
TABLE-US-00001 Classical: Oscillators and fields are both classical
Semi-classical: Oscillators are quantum, but fields are still
classical Quantum: Oscillators and fields are both quantum
Oscillator Behavior
[0021] In considering response of oscillators generally, it is
useful to consider them from the viewpoint of classical and
semiclassical theories, which for the purposes of the structures
and methods described herein have significant similarities and
parallels. In both cases the EM fields can be treated classically,
and can take any magnitude.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, an array 100 of oscillators 102 is
distributed according to a selected pattern and receives an
excitation input 104, represented in FIG. 3 as a single frequency
optical wave. The structures, methods, analysis and other aspects
described herein are not generally limited to excitation of a
single frequency, an optical frequency, a single polarization, or
even a coherent excitation. However, in some cases, excitations of
a single frequency, sets of discrete frequencies, single
polarizations, or other constraints may be considered for
simplicity or clarity of presentation. Additionally, in some cases,
the structures, methods, and approaches herein can be specifically
tailored to address one or more specific frequencies or frequency
bands selectively.
[0023] Also, while the illustrative representation of FIG. 3 shows
the oscillators 102 arranged in a 2D lattice, a wide range of other
arrangements, including ID and 3D configurations may be
implemented. Moreover, the various types of oscillators, patterns,
and interactions between oscillators 102 will be described more
fully herein. Initially, however, the operations, dynamics and
response of individual oscillators are considered generally. Note
that, although the description herein refers to the elements of the
array as oscillators for clarity of presentation and consistency of
terminology with respect to mathematical and theoretical
references, a variety of structures may form the oscillators. In
one illustrative embodiment, the oscillators may be self-resonant
bodies, such as selected atoms, molecular structures, or quantum
dots, though metamaterials, waveguides or other resonant structures
may fall within the discussion herein. In one example, the
oscillators 102 may be rare earth atoms having very high quality
factors (Qs), although as described herein, oscillators having
lower Q can still operate as a group, or even individually in some
configurations.
[0024] The following section of this description will use real
variables, and assume a field of E(r, t)=F cos(.omega.t-kr) for the
excitation input 104, where F is considered to be a constant or a
slowly varying (compared to .omega. and k) function of space and
time, rather than a pure constant for this discussion, though F is
not necessarily so limited in all cases. In the oscillators 102,
the field E(r,t) induces dipole moments, p. The dipole moments p
create a global polarization, P, of the array 100 that changes
E(r,t).
[0025] On the individual oscillator level, the dipole moment p has
two parts, u which is in phase with E(r,t) and v which is out of
phase with E(r,t): p(r,t)=d {u cos(.omega.t-kr)-v
sin(.omega.t-kr)}
[0026] As will be discussed below, u will typically lead to a
refractive or similar response and v will typically lead to
absorption or gain. For directness of presentation, u and v are
treated as dimensionless variables and constants for purposes of
the initial discussion below. However, u and v are not necessarily
constants, and often may vary slowly relative to .omega. and k with
space and time. The terms u and v will also vary due to the
influence of E(r,t).
[0027] For a classical oscillator, no limit is placed on dipole
size and d is a characteristic value. For comparison purposes, it
is useful to note that in a quantum analysis, a two level
oscillator is considered to have a dipole size limit, where d is
the maximum size of the dipole moment.
[0028] For the entire array 100 or a section of the array 100 the
oscillators 102 have a density N(r) from which the group
polarization can be represented in a simplified fashion as: P=N
p
[0029] In some cases, P represents the group polarization
sufficiently well. However, where the oscillators are not
identical, a more complex representation of P may be used. For
example, where the oscillators 102 have different line-centers, P
can be determined as an integral over the various p values: P=N
.intg.p(.DELTA.)g(.DELTA.)d .DELTA. where the oscillators'
line-centers are distributed over a range with their offset from
the excitation frequency described by an offset .DELTA. with a
distribution g(.DELTA.).
[0030] Note that the above considers the basic case of simple
oscillators, having no preferred or constrained directional
responses with p and P aligned with E, and the medium being
isotropic, for simplicity and clarity of presentation. But it will
be understood that there are some cases such as oriented systems
that may include such constraints or configurations. Illustrative
examples of systems that may differ from the isotropic may include
atomic oscillators with magnetically biased Am transitions,
artificial nano-oscillators, or similar. In such cases, the
analysis can treat p, P, and E more completely using vector
representations and corresponding matrix analysis, rather than the
scalar equations presented in this illustrative example.
[0031] The interaction of the oscillators with an excitation
frequency can be represented according to classical theory using
Maxwell's equations, to provide that D=E+4.pi.P From a knowledge of
E and P, one can calculate the permittivity .epsilon., and then
combine this with the magnetic permeability .mu., to get the index
of refraction, n. For isotropic systems .epsilon.=D/E=1+4 .pi.P/E
n= {square root over (.epsilon. .mu.)}
[0032] For classical fields, this allows straightforward
calculation of the effects of the oscillators 102 on the excitation
input. The relationship between the effective refractive index and
the oscillator properties allows the response of selected
distributions to be determined. Moreover, the index profile can be
selected according to a desired optical response, taking into
account the design considerations relating to frequency response,
controllability, spatial distribution, polarizability and other
features of the oscillators. In one simple illustrative example,
the oscillators can be selected and positioned to approximate one
or more spherical or hemispherical lenses. Moreover, gradient
effective refractive indexes may follow linear, parabolic, Gaussian
or other profiles. Additionally, the peak effective refractive
index may be at a location other than a central axis. For example,
in a structure that operates as a negative lens, the minimum
effective refractive index may be along a central axis. Further,
while these are examples of structures that tend to be symmetric
about one or more axes, structures having refractive index
asymmetry may also be appropriate in some applications as may be
periodic or aperiodic patterns of effective refractive index. The
following present some examples of such calculations for
illustrative cases of oscillator coupling, properties,
arrangements, or other oscillator properties.
Behavior of the Oscillators
[0033] Typically, u and v are proportional to E, and u is
responsible for the real part of the index of refraction, while v
leads to the imaginary part, and hence absorption or gain. At one
extreme, u and v of the oscillators 102 are entirely predetermined,
and are independent of E. In such a case, the group polarization P
becomes simply a source term in Maxwell's equations and the
oscillators can be considered as transmitters. The oscillators 102
can be positioned spatially according to a desired response to the
excitation input 104 to produce output pattern within the frequency
responses of the oscillators according to conventional Maxwellian
propagation.
[0034] While various illustrative structures and spatial
positioning arrangements will be described in more detail elsewhere
herein, such spatial arrangements can vary widely in analogs to
conventional optical or microwave elements. For example, spatial
arrangements can approximate a gradient index to form a guiding or
lensing structure similar to gradient index optics. Similarly,
responses similar to Fresnel plates or lenses, refractive
boundaries, stacked optical or microwave trains or other selected
responses may be implemented. Moreover, the arrangements may be
selected to produce responses different from conventional optical
or microwave structures. For example, narrowband, thin lenses are
described herein.
[0035] Returning to discussion of behavior of oscillators, at an
opposite extreme, the oscillators 102 are free-running, and driven
solely by E. In such a case, the spatial distribution and
oscillator properties define the response to the input signal E.
While the above represent the pure cases, hybrids can also be
implemented.
Classical Oscillators
[0036] Considering the oscillators 102 first as classical,
free-running oscillators, the motion of a charge in a classical
oscillator-is given by: x .. + 2 .tau. .times. x . + .omega. 0 2
.times. x = 2 m .times. E ##EQU2## where .omega..sub.0 is the
excitation frequency and 1/.tau. is the decay rate. The decay rate
1/.tau. combines radiative and collisional parts: 1 .tau. = e 2
.times. .omega. 0 2 3 .times. m .times. .times. c 3 + 1 .tau. c
##EQU3## In the limit where .omega..apprxeq..omega..sub.0, so that
.DELTA.=.omega..sub.0-.omega. is <<.omega., and where
.omega..tau.>>1, the two dipole terms, u and v can be
represented by coupled linear equations: u . = - .DELTA. .times.
.times. v - u .tau. ##EQU4## v . = .DELTA. .times. .times. u - v
.tau. - .kappa. .times. .times. F ##EQU4.2## where K is the field
coupling coefficient, .kappa. = e 2 2 .times. .times. m .times.
.times. c .times. .times. d . ##EQU5## The steady-state solutions
become: u = .kappa..tau. .times. .times. F .times. .DELTA..tau. 1 +
.DELTA. 2 .times. .tau. 2 ##EQU6## v = - .kappa..tau. .times.
.times. F .times. 1 1 + .DELTA. 2 .times. .tau. 2 ##EQU6.2## These
steady state representations lead to classical expressions for
permittivity and absorption. For the simple case of a number
density N of a single type of oscillator with a single line-center
frequency, permittivity components can be represented as
.epsilon.=.epsilon..sub.1-i.epsilon..sub.2 .epsilon..sub.1=1+4.pi.N
d u .epsilon..sub.2=4.pi.N d v Thus, for a classical oscillator,
the index of refraction, n= {square root over (.epsilon..mu.)}, can
be controlled by controlling the density of oscillators, N, locally
and/or broadly.
[0037] In one example, spatially varying the population density N
of the oscillators 102 can produce a defined index profile at and
around the center frequency .omega..sub.0. In one approach, a
gradient or other variation can produce a lens at and around the
line center. The specific spatial distribution of densities can be
determined based upon the intended response using the permittivity
defined herein as a component of the optical or RF design.
[0038] Where the excitation input 104 is substantially centered on
the resonant frequency of the oscillators, the refractive and/or
absorptive response can be very large. Note that such responses may
also be very frequency specific, depending upon the resonant
bandwidth (corresponding to Q) of the individual oscillators 102
and the number of oscillators 102 sharing common resonant
frequencies.
[0039] It can also be noted that, where the resonant frequency of a
subset of the oscillators 102 differs from that of another subset,
the subsets can be substantially independent. That is, each can be
responsive to its respective resonant frequency and nonresponsive
to the resonant frequency of the other subset. The degree to which
the respective subsets are independent can be defined in part by
the relative separation of the respective resonant frequencies, the
respective resonant bandwidths of the oscillators, and group
effects as will be described below. Such independence may be useful
to selectively respond to excitation inputs of different colors
(e.g., RGB) or different wavelengths within what can be considered
a single color (e.g., different wavelengths of red). Moreover, such
independence may arise within a common plane through intermingling
of oscillators of different .omega..sub.0, through layering, or
both.
[0040] Note that in the previous examples, each of the oscillators
102 was considered to be active and responsive to the input
excitation 104 for straightforward presentation. Note that such a
condition is not always the case and, in fact, as shown by later
examples herein, this condition can be influenced or dictated as
part of the design considerations or implementation.
[0041] The previous discussion also did not directly address
inter-oscillator coupling, although such coupling can be
incorporated into the permittivity and absorption calculations.
[0042] It can be noted that absorption is highest on-resonance and
drops-off as a function of .DELTA..sup.2 for this analysis. That
is, the absorption drops off as the square of the difference
between the excitation input 104 and the resonance frequency
.omega..sub.0 of the oscillator. It can also be noted that
refraction peaks slightly off-resonance, drops more gradually away
from resonance, and has opposite signs depending upon whether the
excitation frequency is above or below the resonance frequency.
Operation at frequencies above the resonant frequency
(.omega.>.omega..sub.0) can produce negative index
structures.
Quantum Mechanical Oscillators
[0043] Many natural oscillators, such as atomic oscillators, can
typically be described more effectively by quantum mechanics. This
arises, in part, because such oscillators have discrete
eigenstates, and fields excite transitions between these distinct
states, rather than across a continuum. While real atoms and
quantum oscillators have a multiplicity of eigenstates, typical
analysis concentrates on only two at a time to simplify the
presentation and physical understanding. The approximation is
adequate in most cases because, for relatively narrow line-width,
near-resonance interactions (those where the oscillators 102 have
the strongest effect), there is usually only one transition close
enough to strongly interact.
[0044] The response of the array of oscillators 102 can be further
refined by considering the impact of impinging electromagnetic
energy on the quantum states of the oscillators 102. In some cases,
energy from incident electromagnetic waves can be absorbed by the
oscillators 102 and can impact or substantially govern their
quantum states. The above analysis can be refined to determine
responses that accommodate or even make use of the responsiveness
of the quantum states. In one approach, described herein, a state
energy input, which may be a part of the incident excitation energy
104 or a separately supplied input, can permit active control of
the oscillator properties, and thereby impact optical or RF
response.
[0045] As an illustrative example of influencing quantum states and
thus impacting the oscillator properties, a two level oscillator is
presented in FIG. 4. While oscillators having two, three, four, or
even more quantum states can be considered, the two state case is
presented here for directness and clarity of presentation.
[0046] As an initial illustration, the excitation input and the
state level input will be considered to be the same input to ease
presentation of quantum state impacts and to ease understanding of
how the characteristics of the excitation input can impact the
response of the optical array 104. As noted previously, as the
oscillators absorb energy from the excitation input (or other state
energy input), some of the oscillators move to an upper quantum
state. This depletes the lower state, thereby reducing the
material's polarization and thus the effective refractive index,
thereby lessening optical strength. As the lower state is
repopulated both by decay (radiative or parasitic) and by
stimulated emission, the optical strength can recover, in part. The
relative rates of depletion and repopulation, as well as the
optical response will depend in part upon the level of coherence of
the excitation input and the state level input.
Incoherent Illumination:
[0047] The effect of incoherent excitation energy, such as
incoherent light, can be tracked by rate equations based on the
Einstein A and B coefficients. Up-rate=B I N.sub.L Down-rate=A
N.sub.U+B I N.sub.U Starting with all oscillators in the lower
state, with no separate state level input, such as pumping, the
population does not fully invert and the steady-state solution is
given by the standard laser relation: N L - N U = I . I . + 2
.times. I .times. N ##EQU7## where the I. spectral density
(W/cm.sup.2/Hz) is given by the A/B ratio. I . = A B = 8 .times.
.pi. .times. .times. hv .lamda. 2 ##EQU8## The amount of flux that
will produce a given change in the oscillator populations depends
in large part on the bandwidth of the oscillator, since flux is a
function of the density I. times the oscillator linewidth.
Considering the simple case where oscillators have substantially
identical line centers, the excitation input is typically a narrow
linewidth source, since inputs outside of the oscillator response
bands will usually have little effect. A narrow source will
saturate at intensities of: J . = I .DELTA. .times. .times. v = 8
.times. .pi. .times. .times. hv .lamda. 2 .times. .tau. ##EQU9## As
an example of the flux for long-lived oscillators using 0.5 .mu.m
light, the saturation spectral density is 4 nW/cm.sup.2/Hz.
According, for oscillator lifetimes of 1 ms this provides a 1000 Hz
band, that saturates at a flux of about 4 .mu.W/cm.sup.2.
Comparatively, for broadband light sources (e.g., typical natural
light), the spectral density is about 10.sup.-16 W/cm.sup.2/Hz, and
would have negligible effect on oscillator populations. Thus, at
most reasonable ranges of excitation energy, broadband or natural
light at typical levels has little effect on optical strength.
Thus, in this illustrative case, optically induced changes in
optical strength can be controlled with on- or near-resonance,
narrow-band, light, and will not be significantly affected by
broadband background light.
[0048] Similarly, because oscillators respond strongly to
excitation inputs at or near resonance and will typically respond
weakly or negligibly to excitation inputs at other frequencies, the
optical strength will be spectrally selective. As will be discussed
below, in many configurations, the spectrally selective nature of
the oscillators can produce single or near-single wavelength
optics. This does not necessarily limit responses to a single,
narrow response band. Instead, in some cases excitation inputs can
interact with more than one array of oscillators, and oscillators
in different arrays may have different center frequencies and/or
linewidths. Thus, the different arrays can interact with excitation
energies at more than one center frequency. Moreover, because the
oscillators having different line centers can be spatially
proximate while retaining independence of response, the different
arrays can be overlapped and can even occupy common planes or
volumes in space.
Coherent Illumination:
[0049] While the above consideration of non-coherent illumination
can produce a variety of structures that interact selectively with
excitation energies, additional aspects may utilize very narrowband
sources, such as lasers. While much of the above analysis can be
applied directly to coherent illumination and interactions, other
aspects and embodiments may consider coherent interactions between
the oscillators' upper and lower states. Treatment of resonance of
Two-Level Atoms can be found in Allen and Eberly, "Optical
Resonance and Two-Level Atoms," Dover Publications, Inc., (1975).
However, as noted previously response to excitation inputs can be
considered for cases including oscillators having three or more
levels, as well.
[0050] Coherent coupling between classical radiation and the
quantum states of a two-level quantum oscillator can be described
by the oscillator's eigenstates |.psi..sub.-> and
|.psi..sub.+>, and by the 3 variable Optical Bloch equations.
The first two variables, u and v, are very closely related to the
classical counterparts described previously. In the quantum
representation, u describes the real part of the dipole transition
element |.psi..sub.-.sup..|x|.psi..sub.->, while v describes the
imaginary part. A third variable, w, describes the amount of mixing
between the upper and lower eigenstates (in effect the degree of
population inversion); w is -1 for the lower state and +1 for the
upper one. The evolution of the 3 Bloch variables u, v, and w is
given by u . = - .DELTA. .times. .times. v - u .tau. 2 ##EQU10## v
. = .DELTA. .times. .times. u - v .tau. 2 + .kappa. .times. .times.
F .times. .times. w ##EQU10.2## w . = - .kappa. .times. .times. F
.times. .times. v - w - w . .tau. 1 ##EQU10.3## where
.kappa.=4d/.
[0051] The first two of the above Bloch equations representing the
dipole variables are quite similar to the classical representation
of the dipole variables. However, the quantum representation is
modified by multiplying the field containing factor by the
population-level variable, w. The third equation, for w, has a
drive term due to field coupling with the out-of-phase part of the
dipole, and relaxes towards an equilibrium level, w., which
reflects external drive or decay mechanisms.
[0052] Despite the similarities with classical oscillators, the
Bloch equations for quantum mechanical oscillators do indicate
behavioral differences. This can be illustrated by considering the
slow-decay (or short-pulse) limit, where .tau..sub.1 and
.tau..sub.2.fwdarw..infin.. Here the system is conservative:
u.sup.2+v.sup.2+w.sup.2=1
[0053] It can be seen from this that the dipole moments are not
only limited, but are strongest when the oscillators are
half-flipped (e.g., w.about.0); when oscillators are near the
ground state or the upper state (e.g., w.about.-1 or 1), they have
weak dipole strength.
[0054] The Bloch equations are nonlinear, so typically are solved
numerically, particularly in cases where the excitation energy
self-consistently couples to the field via the global polarization
P according to Maxwell's equations. Such numerical solutions can be
implemented according to conventional software approaches,
including iterative approaches.
[0055] In some specific cases, an analytical solution can be more
appropriate and can provide useful information. A first example is
a steady state solution, corresponding to that for the classical
oscillator case. In such a situation the dipole variables can be
represented according to: u = - .kappa. .times. .times. .tau. 2
.times. Fw .DELTA. .times. .times. .tau. 2 1 + .DELTA. 2 .times.
.tau. 2 2 + .kappa. 2 .times. F 2 .times. .tau. 1 .times. .tau. 2
##EQU11## v = .kappa. .times. .times. .tau. 2 .times. Fw 1 1 +
.DELTA. 2 .times. .tau. 2 2 + .kappa. 2 .times. F 2 .times. .tau. 1
.times. .tau. 2 ##EQU11.2## w = w 1 + .DELTA. 2 .times. .tau. 2 2 1
+ .DELTA. 2 .times. .tau. 2 2 + .kappa. 2 .times. F 2 .times. .tau.
1 .times. .tau. 2 ##EQU11.3##
[0056] It can be noted from these representations that, while
classical oscillators have ever-increasing dipole strengths in high
fields, dipole moment for quantum oscillators can actually decrease
in very strong fields. As noted for the classical case, when the
excitation frequency .omega. is greater than the resonant frequency
.omega..sub.0, the effective index can be negative.
[0057] A second example case is the Rabi solution, which occurs in
the slow-decay limit, such that .tau..sub.1 and
.tau..sub.2.fwdarw..infin., and where the field, F is constant.
Representing .kappa.F as a frequency, .GAMMA., and defining a Rabi
precession frequency, .OMEGA.: .OMEGA.= {square root over
(.DELTA..sup.2+.GAMMA..sup.2)} the Rabi solution features
oscillating u, v, w values: { u v w } = { .GAMMA. 2 + .DELTA. 2
.times. cos .times. .times. .OMEGA. .times. .times. t .OMEGA. 2 -
.DELTA. .OMEGA. .times. sin .times. .times. .OMEGA. .times. .times.
t - .GAMMA. .times. .times. .DELTA. .OMEGA. 2 .times. ( 1 - cos
.times. .times. .OMEGA. .times. .times. t ) .DELTA. .OMEGA. .times.
sin .times. .times. .OMEGA. .times. .times. t cos .times. .times.
.OMEGA. .times. .times. t .GAMMA. .OMEGA. .times. sin .times.
.times. .OMEGA. .times. .times. t - .GAMMA. .times. .times. .DELTA.
.OMEGA. 2 .times. ( 1 - cos .times. .times. .OMEGA. .times. .times.
t ) - .GAMMA. .OMEGA. .times. sin .times. .times. .OMEGA. .times.
.times. t .DELTA. 2 + .GAMMA. 2 .times. cos .times. .times. .OMEGA.
.times. .times. t .OMEGA. 2 } .times. { u 0 v 0 w 0 } ##EQU12##
[0058] Considering the case where an oscillator starts in the
ground state (u.sub.0 and v.sub.0=0, w.sub.0=-1), the oscillator
begins as inert, and with no dipole strength. Upon exposure to a
field, .GAMMA..noteq.0, its u ,v, w state starts changing
cyclically at the Rabi frequency .OMEGA.. The dipole moment, u and
v, depends on the field strength, but is only directly proportional
to the field strength F in the low field limit where
.GAMMA.<<.DELTA.. Even in this case, u/F and v/F cyclically
change size, with v repetitively changing sign (leading to bouts of
gain and loss).
[0059] Accordingly, when decay is weak (or pulses are short), the
response of the array 100 of oscillators 102 is typically
considered dynamic, not static. Viewed over many cycles, the
oscillators 102 have a net effect of { u v w } = { .GAMMA. 2
.OMEGA. 2 0 - .GAMMA. .times. .times. .DELTA. .OMEGA. 2 0 0 0 -
.GAMMA. .times. .times. .DELTA. .OMEGA. 2 0 .DELTA. 2 .OMEGA. 2 }
.times. { u 0 v 0 w 0 } ##EQU13##
[0060] In this limit, the array 100 of oscillators 102 has no net
gain-or-loss. However, the oscillators do induce phase delays and
thus have an effective net refraction. As noted for the previous
case, when u.sub.0=0 and w.sub.0=-1, the refraction can be made
negative by exciting above the resonance frequency of the
oscillators 102.
[0061] In the case where the excitation input 104 is a narrowband
signal, the refractive response and absorption response of the
oscillators 102 can be determined from the above
representations.
[0062] In addition to the cases of coherent excitation just
described, coherence can be implemented spatially by arranging the
oscillators into a spatially prescribed pattern. While this is not
strictly a quantum effect, the farfield response to coherent
illumination can be determined according to classical far field
determinations of coherently emitting sources or coherently
addressed receivers. Such techniques for determining farfield
response are sometimes used in determining the response of phased
array antennas or diffractive optical components.
[0063] Since many light sources have sufficient coherence over at
least a subset of expected lens dimensions, such determinations of
the coherent response of a pattern of coherent emitters or
detectors can indicate the response of an array of oscillators
where the oscillators are positioned according to a selected
spatial pattern.
[0064] Where each of the oscillators is positioned sufficiently
closely to other oscillators in the array, inter-oscillator
coupling can occur. In one configuration, the oscillators are
spaced closely enough to be within each other's near field. Where
the inter-oscillator coupling is sufficient for a given Q and line
center, the oscillators' group behavior can cause the oscillators
to synchronize. In an extreme case, the oscillators act as a group
having an extremely high polarization P. Such behavior is
indicative of Dicke superradiance.
[0065] Even where the oscillators do not reach the limits of Dicke
superradiance, their operation may be synchronous. In one approach,
synchronization occurs as a result of inter-oscillator coupling.
However, synchronization can result from other conditions,
including those provided as part of the system or apparatus design.
For example, each of the oscillators can receive energy (excitation
energy, state level energy, a separate electrical or EM signal or a
variety of other energy sources) according to a selected relative
timing or phase. In one example, electronic circuitry provides a
respective pulse train or sine wave to each of the oscillators with
each pulse train or sine wave having a selected relative phase. In
a very simple case, the relative phase may be zero. The pulse train
or sine wave then provides a base signal that helps synchronize the
relative phases of the oscillators in the array 104.
[0066] In addition to or separately from controlling the relative
phases, the state level energy or another energy source can control
the degree to which the oscillators are saturated. For example, an
off-axis coherent signal directed toward selected ones or sets of
oscillators can shift the quantum state upwardly toward or
substantially the way to inversion. In some cases, as the state
shifts away from the middle state, the effective index will fall,
as described previously, thereby reducing the optical strength. In
this approach, electronic circuitry controls flux level of the
off-axis energy, and in turn controls the optical strength of the
array. The electronic circuitry thus allows control of the response
of the array. The electronic circuitry can use this effect to
refine the response of the array to accommodate imperfections or to
selectively control the response of all or a portion of the
array.
[0067] Note that while the energy source in the illustrative
example was off-axis light, other types of energy, such as energy
off of line center can also provide control of the inversion level.
Moreover, the previous discussion has concentrated primarily on the
strength of interaction from the point of view of deflection
(refraction or reflection) or other aspects of control of the
direction of propagation of the excitation energy. However, the
inversion level can also affect the non-real part of the response
and thus affect absorption.
[0068] The previous discussion has concentrated primarily on
oscillators acting as a group of elements responding to
electromagnetic energy, rather than focusing on transverse coupling
among sets of elements. However, in some cases, it may be
appropriate to consider transverse coupling between the elements.
In some configurations, such consideration may address near field
coupling between adjacent or nearby elements.
[0069] In one approach to design that considers near field or
similar coupling, adjacent oscillators are within or substantially
within each other's near field, typically with spacing on the order
of or less than a wavelength. In this case, oscillators in a local
region experience essentially the same far field, but each sees a
near field influenced or, in many cases, dominated by effects of
closest neighbors. If the elements are placed in a periodic array,
this neighbor-neighbor interaction will be reinforced for fields
with wavevectors comparable to the inverse lattice spacing.
[0070] Where the spacing is less than a wavelength, these
reinforced modes are near field, evanescent waves, in most cases.
This periodically-reinforced interaction will act to modify the
frequency response of the oscillators, and can cause a broadening
of their resonant linewidth.
[0071] The magnitude of this broadening depends, in part, upon the
oscillator-oscillator interaction strength and spacing. The
interaction between two oscillators generally increases as their
separation distance decreases. At some separation distance an
interaction length can be defined within which mutual interaction
between nearby oscillators becomes strong enough to significantly
modify their oscillatory behavior.
[0072] If oscillators are placed in a periodic lattice or another
structure having a degree of periodicity, with spacing smaller than
or comparable to this interaction length, then near field periodic
reinforcement can cause substantial broadening of the frequency
response of the lattice relative to the expected frequency response
in the absence of the reinforced evanescent modes. This broadening
can establish a response of the periodic or partially periodic
arrangement of oscillators to respond more evenly over a range of
wavelengths. Such broadened response can reduce sensitivity to
wavelength shifts of a light source or response to frequencies near
to but different from the oscillators' natural frequency.
[0073] In other situations, these near field periodic broadening
effects can be reduced by establishing the oscillator spacing and
periodicity to minimize reinforcement of the broadening effects. In
one approach, the interaction length or the oscillator spacing is
established such that the interaction length is significantly
smaller than the lattice spacing. In this situation, periodic
reinforcement only occurs for large, multi-lattice-sized,
wavevectors. Consequently, inter-oscillator interactions correspond
to high harmonics of the lattice. Because such high-harmonic
effects are significant only for highly regular, near-perfect
lattices, naturally occurring or selectively induced irregularities
in the oscillator lattice will minimize near field periodic
broadening effects.
Narrow-Band, Near-Monochromatic, Response
[0074] As noted previously, where the oscillators are narrow
linewidth oscillators, the optical or RF response can be
wavelength-specific. In one embodiment presented in FIG. 5, an
optical element 500 includes an array 502 of oscillators 504. For a
first subset 506 of the oscillators, the center wavelength of the
oscillators is matched to a wavelength of a first excitation source
505. For a second subset 508 of the oscillators, the center
wavelength of the oscillators is matched to a wavelength of a
second excitation source 507. Similarly, a third subset 510 of the
oscillators, has a center wavelength of the oscillators matched to
a wavelength of a third excitation source 509. In one approach, the
wavelengths of the first, second and third excitation sources are
within the range of human vision. The wavelengths may be in the
red, green, and blue regions of the spectrum. As is known, red,
green and blue wavelengths can be combined to produce a perceived
range of wavelengths that substantially spans the human visual
range. Thus, in one application, the optical element can be applied
to controlling optical energy in the human visual range. Such
elements may form lenses or other elements of optical trains in
cameras, displays, machine vision systems, printers, or other
systems.
[0075] Note that each of the subsets may be patterned or otherwise
configured to have the same, similar, or different characteristics
from the others in their respective wavelength bands. For example,
the red subset may have a different focal length from the blue
subset. Such differentiation may be useful for example in
discriminating elements at different distances. For example, in
aircraft or automobiles, relatively nearby heads up display
elements in the red wavelength band may remain in focus while
relatively far away green elements may also be in focus. Similarly,
such optical elements can compensate for achromaticities in
conventional refractive optical trains.
[0076] While the array 502 is presented as a periodic, rectilinear
array of individual oscillators 504, other arrangements and
groupings may be implemented. For example, the oscillator can be
packed more densely in a central region of the array 502 or
individual oscillators can be replaced by groups of oscillators
with increasing numbers of oscillators in each group toward the
center of the array 502 to approximate a gradient index structure,
thus forming a lens.
[0077] More generally, the relative index of local regions of the
array 502 can be defined according to the approaches herein to
define a variety of structures with optical properties defined at
least in part by the relative refractive indexes. Such structures
can be implemented for respective wavelengths using techniques
applicable to conventional ray tracing or other design techniques
for refractive optics. For example, the refractive index profile
can be determined or evaluated using conventional tools such as
Zemax Software (available from Zemax Development Corporation, 3001
112th Avenue NE, Suite 202, Bellevue, Wash. 98004-8017 USA) or
similar design modeling, or analysis software.
Continuous Wave Operation
[0078] In some applications, optical elements formed by the arrays
104 may interact with pulsed excitation energies and in some
applications the optical elements may interact with continuous wave
excitation energies. Additionally, in some cases, the excitation
energy may be some combination of discontinuous and continuous
excitation or some approximation of one or the other or both.
[0079] A first illustrative case arises when the excitation energy
is continuous or approximates continuous excitation. In cases where
the excitation energy is applied over time scales r greater than
the decay times .tau..sub.1 and .tau..sub.2 of the oscillators, the
oscillators can feature the steady-state u and v values described
previously. Accordingly the oscillators have large gain/loss
coefficients near line-center. Accordingly, refractive effects
depend upon the intensity of the excitation energy. In some cases,
these large gain/loss values may be incorporated into the design.
For example, as described previously, providing additional energy
in the state level input can provide control of refractive
effects.
[0080] In other applications, the frequency of the excitation
energy can be selected to be sufficiently far from line center such
that .DELTA..tau..sub.2>>1. This choice makes the optics
refraction-dominated, but does result in a loss of optical power.
In some cases, lower optical power operation may be acceptable.
[0081] One approach that allows low gain/loss operation near
line-center (hence retaining large oscillator strengths) is to
dynamically switch w. between positive and negative values; such
switching speed may still be long compared to .tau..sub.1 and
.tau..sub.2, so that the oscillator's behavior can still be
described by the continuous wave relations. While doing this, the
excitation input can synchronously switch the source frequency
.omega. complementarily (below and above line-center) such that the
net value of refraction, u, remains at the selected value. However,
since the state level input is sometimes above and sometimes below
line center, gain and loss balance out for zero net effect. Note
that, although the pulses are applied sequentially, the pulses are
not necessarily periodic. In one approach, the complementary pulses
at the two frequencies are applied aperiodically and/or with
varying durations with the intensity and duration selected to
maintain a desired average net effect. Note that for some
excitation levels and oscillator Q's the duration of excitation for
each of the frequencies may be on or below the order of
milliseconds. Such periods can be below the perception level of
human visual or machine vision systems.
[0082] In cases where the duration of the opposite excitations
produce undesirable artifacts (e.g., where the timing of switching
of frequencies correlates to line rates, frame rates or other
aspects of displays) the durations and frequencies can be adjusted
or varied to compensate or may have aperiodic components.
Short Pulse Operation
[0083] In short pulsed operation, the time scale and duty cycle of
pulses can be selected to directly control the values of refraction
and gain/loss. Such conditions will typically include time scales
where .tau..sub.pulse<<.tau..sub.1 and .tau..sub.2. Such
operation allows coordination between the oscillator dynamics and
the timing of pulses to take advantage of specific u and v values.
Since the oscillator Q affects the decay rate, the time scales can
be affected by the choice of oscillator Q. For example, rare earth
atoms may have very long decay rates on the order of milliseconds
while other structures may have individual Q values on the order of
10 to 100.
[0084] When using short-pulse excitation with a coherent EM field,
the oscillators can respond with spatial coherence, greatly
magnifying their optical strength. In this case the individual
dipole moments add up, creating a global polarization that grows
with N, the number of coherent oscillators. This in turn excites E
fields which scale as N, and hence light intensities that increase
as N.sup.2. Over longer, .tau..sub.2, time-scales, the oscillators
develop random phases, and so intensities return to N scaling. The
size-scale over which the E field, and hence the oscillators, are
coherent will generally be .about..lamda./4, which determines the
population N.
Negative Refraction
[0085] These oscillators can be used for negative refraction optics
by operating them in a u<0 regime. One general CW approach to
assure this is simply to operate at a frequency above the
oscillator's line-center (.omega.>.omega..sub.0). Short-pulse
operation allows u (and hence refraction) to be kept negative
despite dynamic oscillator behavior, by properly timing the
excitation pulses.
Dynamic Control--Energy Based
[0086] Another approach to controlling the optical response of the
array can utilize the frequency dependence of the oscillator
response. In a straightforward case, the response of the optical
properties can be controlled simply by varying the frequency of the
excitation energy, within the oscillator's linewidth, hence
changing .DELTA.. This can significantly change the dipole u and v
values, which in turn change the optical properties. These shifts
can either be parametric, done before a given CW or pulsed
application, or can be fully dynamic, changing as a function of
time during a pulse.
[0087] Another way to dynamically change the optics is by using a
separate control field. This is done by exposing the oscillator to
two or more EM fields within its linewidth. Metaphorically
speaking, one field is the "payload", which is the excitation input
that is to be optically processed. The other "control" field(s) act
as the principal state level input and may not be meant to be
viewed or otherwise processed. They principally control the
oscillator's u, v values. Note that, in some cases, it may be
desirable to optically process the control input. For example,
monitoring the spot size or other characteristics of the state
level input after it has passed through the optics can provide
information about the level of saturation or other characteristics
of the optics. Using a control field in addition to the "payload"
or excitation input provides an independent control input that
changes the optical control problem from an over-determined case
where the output is fully coupled with the system function, to a
controllable one.
[0088] In one use of this pulsed approach, a first "control" pulse
establishes the inversion state and a second operates as the
viewable "payload". The control pulse induces changes in the
inversion level. As the inversion level increases or decreases, the
values of u, v pass through corresponding ranges. The payload
pulses can be timed to arrive when u, v are at the selected values,
so that the array responds accordingly. In one approach, the timing
is selected such that the selected values correspond to the
zero-crossing of v or to times when u matches a desired value
(e.g., matches u of surrounding media or corresponds to a desired
angle of refraction). If the pulse duration and timing is selected
appropriately, a viewer may perceive operation as substantially
continuous.
Dynamic Control-Oscillator Parameters
[0089] While some of the previously described embodiments have
provided a state level control through resonant or near resonant
interaction with the oscillators and/or through interaction with
electromagnetic fields, other approaches to defining or dynamically
controlling the response of individual oscillators or sets of
oscillators may be implemented. In one case where the oscillators
are artificial oscillators such as quantum dots, the Q and/or
central frequency .omega..sub.0 of the oscillator can be impacted
by applying a static or quasi-static electric or magnetic field.
Still other approaches include applying strains to supporting
structures, applying an acoustic energy input, or other approaches
to affecting the oscillator properties.
[0090] Even where the oscillators are natural oscillators, the Q
and/or central frequency .omega..sub.0 can be controlled. One
approach is to externally change w. (e.g., by level-pumping). Other
approaches use equasi-static electric or magnetic fields, applied
strains, applied acoustic energy, or other approaches to affect the
oscillator properties. Where such control approaches change the
oscillator's natural frequency, .omega..sub.0 changes .DELTA.,
thereby allowing effects corresponding to those described
previously for control through source frequency control.
Nonlinear Optics
[0091] While the previously described approaches have applied
effects to operation of classical oscillators that are typically
linear responses, nonlinear approaches can be defined by
considering the oscillators according to the quantum description
above. The nonlinearity of the quantum oscillator analysis is
discerned from the Bloch equations described previously. This can
be seen from the Fv and Fw terms, and in the
u.sup.2+v.sup.2+w.sup.2=1 constraint. Accordingly, the system
response to two fields is not confined to a superposition of
separate responses to inputs. Instead, the response to two
different excitation signals is a nonlinear function of the
combined inputs. For sufficiently large oscillator dipole
strengths, the nonlinearity can become a significant and/or
dominant effect. The frequencies of operation and inter-frequency
coupling of nearby frequencies within the oscillator's linewidth
can be treated by the Bloch equations, above, except that analysis
of the system with more than one frequency would employ multiple
field terms.
[0092] While this effect can be employed in a variety of
structures, one set of illustrative embodiments applying the
nonlinear response provides optical switching. In basic
configuration, a beam of excitation energy arriving at an array
along a first vector is refracted through a refraction angle
.theta. when the oscillator central frequency .omega..sub.0
substantially coincides with the frequency of the excitation
energy. When a frequency shifting input is applied to the array,
the refractive effect of the array drops and the excitation energy
travels unrefracted. In the refracted case, the beam strikes a
first location and in the unrefracted case, the beam arrives at a
second location spaced apart from the first.
[0093] While the basic case presented for illustration employs two
different levels for a single beam and a frequency shift, a variety
of other switching structures can be implemented. For example, an
incoming beam may be divided and recombined in an interference
structure, such as a Mach-Zender structure 604, shown in FIG. 6,
with one portion of the divided beam passing through a portion 608
of an array 610 of oscillators 612. Where the central frequency
.omega..sub.0 of the oscillators 612 matches the frequency of the
incoming beam 602, the phase of the beam portion passing through
the array portion will differ from a beam portion 616 not passing
through the array portion. When the beam portions are recombined
the combination will destructively interfere providing an effective
output of zero. Where the central frequency .omega..sub.0 of the
oscillators differs from the frequency of the incoming beam, the
phase of the beam portion passing through the array portion will
match the beam portion not passing through the array portion. The
recombined beam will constructively combine to produce an input
corresponding to a "1."
[0094] A variety of other switching structures and switched
structures can also be assembled. For example, where the array is
configured to provide focusing, switching the central frequency
.omega..sub.0 of the oscillators changes the optical power of the
focusing structure.
[0095] While the illustrative examples of switching are described
as ON/OFF types of devices, the principles and structures can be
operated in analog fashion to provide further measures of
control.
[0096] Additionally, as noted previously, operation is not limited
to the illustrative case of two quantum levels. In some cases,
three or more quantum levels can provide further flexibility of
operation. For example, operating in three levels can allow
nonlinear operation with frequencies that are relatively distant.
In one approach to this, a first level input signal may be selected
with a frequency selected to drive the quantum level to an
intermediate state. A second level input signal at a second
frequency can shift the quantum level from the intermediate state
to a third state corresponding to the excitation frequency.
[0097] Moreover, the level select signal, whether at the frequency
of the excitation signal or at a different frequency may be
collinear with the excitation signal or in a separate beam. In one
approach, the input level select signal may spatially overlap the
excitation signal but travel in an opposite direction.
[0098] While the previous discussion relates primarily to operation
at one or more selected frequencies and control of the effective
refractive index, the discussion has been mostly generic with
respect to illustrative arrangements of oscillators as optical
devices. In a first embodiment of an optical device 700, shown in
FIG. 7, self-resonant bodies 702, such as rare-earth atoms, act as
the oscillators. The self-resonant bodies have a half width
including a corresponding range of frequencies as described above
with reference to FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the self-resonant
bodies interact primarily with electromagnetic energy having
wavelengths corresponding to the range of frequencies in the
corresponding range of frequencies. Accordingly, the self resonant
bodies 702 are configured on a substrate 704 in a regular array to
establish an effective index of refraction that can be determined
according to the analyses provided hereinabove.
[0099] As described previously, the self-resonant bodies impact the
direction of propagation of electromagnetic radiation in a range of
wavelengths corresponding to resonant frequencies of the
self-resonant bodies according to their effective refractive
index.
[0100] The previous discussion has related primarily to
arrangements of oscillators. As presented in FIG. 8, one approach
to arranging oscillators according to a defined pattern is to trap
a selected set of atoms 802 in an optical lattice 804. While the
representation of FIG. 8 presents self-resonant bodies in a one
dimensional lattice, 2D and 3D lattices may also be
implemented.
[0101] Also, trapping a selected set of atoms in an optical lattice
has been described for example, in Creating loffe-Pritchard
Micro-traps From Permanent Magnetic Film with In-plane
Magnetization, I. Barb et al.; Eur. Phys. J. D 35, 75-79 (2005);
One-and Two-dimensional Optical Lattices on a Chip for Quantum
Computing; Christandl, et al., Phys. Rev. A 70, 032302 (2004), each
of which is incorporated herein by reference. Moreover, other
approaches to trapping atoms with other types of fields, such as
magnetic fields, electrostatic or quasi-static electric or magnetic
fields may be implemented.
[0102] In still another approach to defining a spatial distribution
of oscillators, quantum dots can be arranged according to
photolithographic techniques, as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,482,890 entitled, Method of Fabricating Quantum Dot Structures to
Liu, et al., or according to similar techniques such as those
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,184 entitled, Method of
Fabricating a Semiconductor Device Using Quantum Dots or Wires to
Kato, or in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20050233487 to
Liu, et al., entitled Method of Fabricating Quantum Features, each
of which is incorporated herein by reference. In yet another
approach quantum dot arrays or other structures can be formed by
DNA assisted self assembly as described in Wang, C.-J, Lin, L. Y.,
Parviz, B. A., Modeling and fabrication of sub-diffraction
nano-photonic waveguides constructed via DNA-directed
self-assembled quantum dots, Conference on Lasers and
Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics & Laser Science Conference
(CLEO/QELS), Baltimore, Mass., May 22-27, 2005 which is
incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, nanoparticles can be
bonded to oligonucleotides in a similar fashion to that described
in U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,702 to Mirkin, et al, entitled Nanoparticles
Having Oligonucleotides Attached Thereto and Uses Therefor, which
is incorporated herein by reference. Such approaches can provide a
wide range of arrangements with very fine spatial definition as
described in "Folding DNA to Create Nanoscale Shapes and Patterns,"
Paul W. K. Rothemund, Mar. 16, 2006, pp. 297-302, Nature, Vol.
440.
[0103] While some of the approaches referenced above concentrate
primarily on holding or defining structures on planar surfaces,
three dimensional structures may also be implemented. For example,
rare earth atoms may be implanted into a host material or within a
three dimensional photonic crystal. Other approaches to defining an
arrangement of self-resonant bodies may also be implemented. For
example, the non-resonant bodies may be located beneath the
surface, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,845 to Lee
et al, entitled Optical Devices with Engineered Nonlinear
Nanocomposite Materials, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0104] Additionally, while the illustrative examples refer to
arrays of oscillators in selected patterns, the patterns themselves
may be dynamic. For example, the oscillator positions may change in
a controllable fashion as described in Ci{hacek over (z)}mar et al,
Optical Conveyor Belt for Delivery of Submicron Objects Applied
Physics Letters, 86, 174101 (2005).
[0105] Much of the discussion herein relates to structures and
methods for designing such structures, as well as systems
incorporating such structures. Those having skill in the art will
recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point
where, at the systems or component level of electrical circuitry,
as such may be incorporated into systems involving the structures
herein, there is little distinction left between hardware and
software implementations of aspects of systems. In such contexts,
the use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in
that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software
can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs.
efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate
that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems
and/or other technologies described herein can be effected (e.g.,
hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred
vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or
systems and/or other technologies are deployed. Those skilled in
the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations will
typically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or
firmware.
[0106] In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize
that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented,
individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware,
software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as
being composed of various types of "electrical circuitry."
Consequently, as used herein "electrical circuitry" includes, but
is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one
discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least
one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one
application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry
forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer
program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer
program which at least partially carries out processes and/or
devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a
computer program which at least partially carries out processes
and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a
memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or
electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a
modem, communications switch, or optical-electrical equipment).
Those having skill in the art will recognize that the subject
matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital
fashion or some combination thereof.
[0107] Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common
within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion
set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to
integrate such described devices and/or processes into optical,
microwave or other systems. That is, at least a portion of the
devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into
larger systems via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those
having skill in the art will recognize that a typical optical or
other electromagnetic system, or apparatus or system incorporating
optical or other electromagnetic elements generally includes one or
more of refractive, diffractive or other types of lenses,
apertures, beam directors, such as mirrors or prisms, couplers,
modulators, beamsplitters, beam combiners, filters, optical sources
such as lasers or LEDs, microwave or RF sources, such as antennas
and modulators, and power sources.
[0108] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates
different components contained within, or connected with, different
other components. It is to be understood that such depicted
architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other
architectures can be implemented which achieve the same
functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components
to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such
that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two
components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality
can be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired
functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or
intermediate components. Likewise, any two components so associated
can also be viewed as being "operably connected," or "operably
coupled," to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Any
two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as
being "operably couplable" to each other to achieve the desired
functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but
are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically
interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or
wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting
and/or logically interactable components.
[0109] While certain features of the described implementations have
been illustrated as disclosed herein, many modifications,
substitutions, changes and equivalents will now occur to those
skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the
appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and
changes as fall within the true spirit of the embodiments of the
invention.
[0110] While particular aspects of the present subject matter
described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent
to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein,
changes and modifications may be made without departing from this
subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and,
therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope
all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit
and scope of this subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it
is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the
appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art
that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended
claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended
as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted
as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be
interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be
interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be
further understood by those within the art that if a specific
number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an
intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence
of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an
aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain
usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more"
to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases
should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim
recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any
particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to
inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same
claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least
one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or
"an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one
or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles
used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a
specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly
recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such
recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the
recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations,"
without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations,
or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where
a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is
used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one
having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., " a
system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be
limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B
together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C
together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to
"at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a
construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art
would understand the convention (e.g., " a system having at least
one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that
have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together,
B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be
further understood by those within the art that any disjunctive
word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms,
whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be
understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the
terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase
"A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or
"B" or "A and B."
[0111] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed
herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those
skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed
herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be
limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the
following claims.
* * * * *
References