3D solidification of photo-polymerisable mixtures using ultra-short laser pulses can open new directions in formation of glass-ceramics with resolution at tens-of-nanometers.

Light trapping photonic crystal (PhC) patterns on the surface of Si solar cells provides a novel opportunity to approach the theoretical efficiency limit of 32.3%, for light-to-electrical power conversion with a single junction cell. This is beyond the efficiency limit implied by the Lambertian limit of ray trapping ~ 29%. The interference and slow light effects are harnessed for collecting light even at the long wavelengths near the Si band-gap. We compare two different methods for surface patterning, that can be extended to large area surface patterning: 1) laser direct write and 2) step-&-repeat 5^× reduction projection lithography. Large area throughput limitations of these methods are compared with the established electron beam lithography (EBL) route, which is conventionally utilised but much slower than the presented methods. Spectral characterisation of the PhC light trapping is compared for samples fabricated by different methods. Reflectance of Si etched via laser patterned mask was ~ 7% at visible wavelengths and was comparable with Si patterned via EBL made mask. The later pattern showed a stronger absorbance than the Lambertian limit⁶.Light trapping photonic crystal (PhC) patterns on the surface of Si solar cells provides a novel opportunity to approach the theoretical efficiency limit of 32.3%, for light-to-electrical power conversion with a single junction cell. This is beyond the efficiency limit implied by the Lambertian limit of ray trapping ~ 29%. The interference and slow light effects are harnessed for collecting light even at the long wavelengths near the Si band-gap. We compare two different methods for surface patterning, that can be extended to large area surface patterning: 1) laser direct write and 2) step-&-repeat 5^× reduction projection lithography. Large area throughput limitations of these methods are compared with the established electron beam lithography (EBL) route, which is conventionally utilised but much slower than the presented methods. Spectral characterisation of the PhC light trapping is compared for samples fabricated by different methods. Reflectance of Si etched via laser patterned mask was ~ 7% at visible wavelengths and was comparable with Si patterned via EBL made mask. The later pattern showed a stronger absorbance than the Lambertian limit⁶.

In recent years, there has been a significant transformation in the field of incoherent imaging with new possibilities of compressing three-dimensional (3D) information into a two-dimensional intensity distribution without two-beam interference (TBI). Most of the incoherent 3D imagers without TBI are based on scattering by a random phase mask exhibiting sharp autocorrelation and low cross-correlation along the depth. Consequently, during reconstruction, high lateral and axial resolutions are obtained. Imaging based on scattering requires an astronomical photon budget and is therefore precluded in many power-sensitive applications. In this study, a proof-of-concept 3D imaging method without TBI using deterministic fields has been demonstrated. A new reconstruction method called the Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm has been developed for this imaging concept. We believe that the proposed approach will cause a paradigm-shift in the current state-of-the-art incoherent imaging, fluorescence microscopy, mid-infrared fingerprinting, astronomical imaging, and fast object recognition applications.In recent years, there has been a significant transformation in the field of incoherent imaging with new possibilities of compressing three-dimensional (3D) information into a two-dimensional intensity distribution without two-beam interference (TBI). Most of the incoherent 3D imagers without TBI are based on scattering by a random phase mask exhibiting sharp autocorrelation and low cross-correlation along the depth. Consequently, during reconstruction, high lateral and axial resolutions are obtained. Imaging based on scattering requires an astronomical photon budget and is therefore precluded in many power-sensitive applications. In this study, a proof-of-concept 3D imaging method without TBI using deterministic fields has been demonstrated. A new reconstruction method called the Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm has been developed for this imaging concept. We believe that the proposed approach will cause a paradigm-shift in the current state-of-the-art incoherent imaging, fluorescence microscopy, mid-infrared fingerprinting, astronomical imaging, and fast object recognition applications.

Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) is a well-established incoherent imaging technique. In FINCH, three self-interference holograms are recorded with calculated phase differences between the two interfering, differently modulated object waves and projected into a complex hologram. The object is reconstructed without the twin image and bias terms by a numerical Fresnel back propagation of the complex hologram. A modified approach to implement FINCH by a single camera shot by pre-calibrating the system involving recording of the point spread function library and reconstruction by a non-linear cross correlation has been introduced recently. The expression of the imaging characteristics from the modulation functions in original FINCH and the modified approach by pre-calibration in spatial and polarization multiplexing schemes are reviewed. The study reveals that a reconstructing function completely independent of the function of the phase mask is required for the faithful expression of the characteristics of the modulating function in image reconstruction. In the polarization multiplexing method by non-linear cross correlation, a partial expression was observed, while in the spatial multiplexing method by non-linear cross correlation, the imaging characteristics converged towards a uniform behavior.

Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) is a self-interference based super-resolution three-dimensional imaging technique. FINCH in inline configuration requires an active phase modulator to record at least three phase-shifted camera shots to reconstruct objects without twin image and bias terms. In this study, FINCH is realized using a randomly multiplexed bifocal binary diffractive Fresnel zone lenses fabricated using electron beam lithography. The object space is calibrated by axially scanning a point object along the optical axis and recording the corresponding point spread holograms (PSHs). An object is mounted within the calibrated object space, and the object hologram was recorded under identical experimental conditions used for recording the PSHs. The image of the object at different depths was reconstructed by a cross-correlation between the object hologram and the PSHs. Application potential including bio-medical optics is discussed.