title: Matched-filtering generalized phase contrast using LCoS pico-projectors for beam-forming.
abstract: We report on a new beam-forming system for generating high intensity programmable optical spikes using so-called matched-filtering Generalized Phase Contrast (mGPC) applying two consumer handheld pico-projectors. Such a system presents a low-cost alternative for optical trapping and manipulation, optical lattices and other beam-shaping applications usually implemented with high-end spatial light modulators. Portable pico-projectors based on liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) devices are used as binary phase-only spatial light modulators by carefully setting the appropriate polarization of the laser illumination. The devices are subsequently placed into the object and Fourier plane of a standard 4f-setup according to the mGPC spatial filtering configuration. Having a reconfigurable spatial phase filter, instead of a fixed and fabricated one, allows the beam shaper to adapt to different input phase patterns suited for different requirements. Despite imperfections in these consumer pico-projectors, the mGPC approach tolerates phase aberrations that would have otherwise been hard to overcome by standard phase projection.
authors.affiliation: DTU Fotonik, Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads 343, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bañas
authors.forename: Darwin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palima
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glückstad
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon