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In this thesis, studies on the applications of digital micro-mirror devices (DMD) to enhancement of digital optical microscope images are presented. This involves adaptation of the fast switching capability and high optical efficiency of DMD to control the spatial illumination of the specimen. The first study focuses on a method of using DMD to enhance the dynamic range of a digital optical microscope. Our adaptive feedback illumination control method generates a high dynamic range image through an algorithm that combines the DMD-to-camera pixel geometrical mapping and a feedback operation. The feedback process automatically generates an illumination pattern in an iterative fashion that spatially modulates the DMD array elements on a pixel-by-pixel level. Via experiment, we demonstrate a transmitted-light microscope system that uses precise DMD control of a DMD-based projector to enhance the dynamic range ideally by a factor of 573. Results are presented showing approximately 5 times the camera dynamic range, enabling visualization over a wide range of specimen characteristics. The second study presents a technique for programming the source of the spherical reference illumination in a digital in-line holographic microscope using DMD. The programmable point source is achieved by individually addressing the elements of a DMD to spatially control the illumination of the object located at some distance from the source of the spherical reference field. Translation of the ON-state DMD mirror element changes the spatial location of the point source and consequently generates a sequence of translated holograms of the object. The experimental results obtained through numerical reconstruction of translated holograms of Latex microspheres shows the possibility of expanding the field of view by about 263% and also extracting depth information between features in an object volume. The common challenges associated with the use of DMD in coherent and broadband illumination control in both studies are discussed.

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QC 20101206

La technique d’usinage par impulsions laser femtosecondes possède de nombreux avantages du fait des spécificités physique de l’interaction laser/matière en mode ultra-bref et est donc susceptible d’intéresser le monde industriel. Néanmoins elle présente aussi certaines limitations, principalement en terme de flexibilité et de productivité, limitant l’accès à ce marché. Pour repousser ces limites, nous proposons d’adjoindre des techniques de contrôle du faisceau, à la fois en taille, et plus généralement en forme, exploités par ailleurs dans d’autres domaines scientifiques (pincettes optiques notamment). Ces techniques reposent sur l’utilisation de modulateurs spatiaux de lumière (SLM). Deux solutions sont proposées : la modulation d’amplitude en configuration d’imagerie, et la modulation de phase pure en configuration de Fourier. Le formalisme, les différentes problématiques et la mise en oeuvre de ces deux techniques au sein d’une station de travail prototype que nous avons développée sont présentés. Enfin, nous mettons en évidence le gain apporté par ces techniques sur des problématiques concrètes, tels que l’usinage de réseaux résonant à l’échelle nanométrique, la réduction du temps d’usinage de ces réseaux (ou d’autres motifs), et l’amélioration de la qualité d’usinage de rainures / Femtosecond laser machining processes present many interesting properties owing to the specificities of the light/matter interaction in ultrafast regime. Thus the process may be of prime interest in industrial applications. However some aspects are not compatible with industrialization: namely a lack of flexibility and productivity. To overcome this limitations we propose to add beam shaping techniques in the process that allow control of the beam both in size and shape. These techniques are based on Spatial Light Modulators (SLM). Two different solutions are proposed: amplitude modulation in a geometrical conjugation scheme, and pure phase modulation in a Fourier scheme. Both are integrated in a prototype workstation. We justify the different choices made during the development by the analysis of the formalisms and specific problematics. Finally, enhancements of the femtosecond laser machining process are practically demonstrated in three different fields: reducing the resolution to nanometric scale, reducing the processing time of different texturations and enhancing the quality of simple grooves by modifying only the beam shape

Traffic from wireless and mobile devices is predicted to increase 10-fold between 2014 and 2019, surpassing wired data traffic by 2016. Given the expected radio frequency (RF) capacity crunch, this growing wireless demand will have to be met using a variety of new technologies exploiting other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Promising research areas include the Millimetre Band as well as Optical Wireless Communications (OWC). Millimetre Band demonstrations have accomplished ultrafast multi-Gigabit links, making use of state-of-the-art fibre transmission systems. However, complex opto-electronic (OE) interfaces are required to convert the optical carrier into Millimetre wireless signals. To avoid these interfaces, an all-optical transparent network is proposed here, spanning over both the fibre and OWC domains, in order to deliver ultrahigh data rates to mobile end-users in indoor environments. This is supported by the recent deployment of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks creating the potential for Terabit aggregate connections at the user's doorstep. Therefore, infrared fibre-wireless-fibre (FWF) links are studied to support data rates over 100 Gb/s in nomadic applications. The link coverage is achieved via narrow beam beamsteering over a wide field-of-view (FOV) using suitable localization and tracking techniques. The proposed model is inherently bidirectional and transparent, i.e. independent of the data rate and modulation format. In this thesis, the potential for ultrafast wide coverage OWCs using SMF-based transceivers and coherent transmission is demonstrated. A record data rate of 418 Gb/s and 209 Gb/s with a wide FOV of θ_FOV=±30° and θ_FOV=±20°, respectively, is shown at a free space range of 3 m. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fastest demonstration of an indoor wireless link that offers practical room-scale coverage. The automated alignment of this FWF link is also demonstrated with the design and implementation a mm-accurate localization and tracking system. Finally, architectures for point-to-multipoint communications are explored in order to adapt the system to multiple users.

Optogenetic approaches allow the activation or inhibition of genetically prescribed populations of neurons by light. In principle, optogenetics offers not only the ability to elucidate the functions of neural circuitry, but also new approaches to a treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and recovery of vision and auditory perception. Optogenetics already has revolutionized research in neuroscience. However, new methods for delivering light to three-dimensionally distributed structures e.g. in the brain are necessary. A major hurdle for focusing light through biological tissue is the occurring scattering and scrambling of the light. We demonstrate the correction of the scrambling in a multimode fiber by digital optical phase conjugation with a perspective for ptogenetics.

The full complex, spatial modulation of light at high frame rates is essential for a variety of applications. In particular, emerging techniques applied to scattering media, such as Digital Optical Phase Conjugation and Wavefront Shaping, request challenging performance parameters. They refer to imaging tasks inside biological media, whose characteristics concerning the transmission and reflection of scattered light may change over time within milliseconds. Thus, these methods call for frame rates in the kilohertz range. Existing solutions typically offer frame rate capabilities below 100 Hz, since they rely on liquid crystal spatial light modulators (SLMs). We propose a diffractive MEMS optical system for this application range. It relies on an analog, tilt-type micro mirror array (MMA) based on an established SLM technology, where the standard application is grayscale amplitude control. The new MMA system design allows the phase manipulation at high-speed as well. The article studies properties of the appropriate optical setup by simulating the propagation of the light. Relevant test patterns and sensitivity parameters of the system will be analyzed. Our results illustrate the main opportunities of the concept with particular focus on the tilt mirror technology. They indicate a promising path to realize the complex light modulation at frame rates above 1 kHz and resolutions well beyond 10,000 complex pixels.

The availability of spatial light modulators as standard turnkey components and their ongoing development makes them attractive for a huge variety of optical measurement systems in industry and research. Here, we outline two examples of how optical measurements can benefit from spatial light modulators. Ultrasound testing has become an indispensable tool for industrial inspection. Contact-free measurements can be achieved by laser-induced ultrasound. One disadvantage is that due to the highly divergent sound field of the generated shear waves for a point-wise thermoelastic excitation, only a poor spatial selectivity can be achieved. This problem can be solved by creating an ultrasound focus by means of a ring-like laser intensity distribution, but standard fixed-form optical components used for their generation are always optimised to a fixed set of parameters. Here, we demonstrate, how a predefined intensity pattern as e.g. a ring can be created from an arbitrary input laser beam using a phase-retrieval algorithm to shape an ultrasound focus in the sample. By displaying different patterns on the spatial light modulator, the focus can be traversed in all three directions through the object allowing a fast and highly spatially resolving scanning of the sample. Optical measurements take often place under difficult conditions. They are affected by variations of the refractive index, caused e.g. by phase boundaries between two media of different optical density. This will result in an increased measurement uncertainty or, in the worst case, will cause the measurement to fail. To overcome these limitations, we propose the application of adaptive optics. Optical flow velocity measurements based on image correlation in water that are performed through optical distortions are discussed. We demonstrate how the measurement error induced by refractive index variations can be reduced if a spatial light modulator is used in the measurement setup to compensate for the wavefront distortions.