Volume-type holographic optical elements perform polarization-dependent characteristics, and highly polarization-selective holographic elements can be achieved with suitable designs. In addition, wavelength-selective characteristics can also be designed with volume-type holographic optical elements. These polarization-selective and wavelength-selective components have been designed and fabricated in various structures. In this presentation, we first review the basic structures of our holographic polarization-selective and wavelength-selective elements. Normally incident and output coupling of our compact and light-weight components provide better flexibility and easier alignment for system applications. Based on these holographic optical elements, we will introduce the compact structures for various optical interconnect applications.

A method for the design of perfectly conducting multiorder diffraction gratings is proposed. The design uses the Rayleigh method and is based on the gradient search algorithm for optimization of grating structure from the condition of the generation of a desired array of diffraction orders. The developed algorithm is more general and for d >> (lambda) , where d is the grating period and (lambda) is the wavelength of incident light, goes over into the familiar gradient algorithms for designing gratings in the Kirchhoff approximation. The designs of multiorder gratings with equal order intensities are reported with the efficiency of more than 90% and root-mean-square errors of 2 - 7%.

The technique and results of 2D multiple-levels phase holographic high efficiency laser beam-splitters computer design and optimizing are presented. The examples of various types beam-splitters with power efficiency greater than 70% are described.

A new type of diffractive optical element, a single layered binary grating producing only three diffraction orders, with equal efficiency, is presented. Its design, in the regime of quasi sub-wavelength, is based on rigorous coupled-wave analysis. A theoretical study and experiment of the grating fabrication errors effects and tolerances is also presented.

A new method of calculation of binary-phase and quantized diffractive optical elements (DOEs) is proposed. The design uses a specific series expression for the quantized DOE transmission function and is based on the gradient search algorithm for the optimization of truncated series approaching the quantized complex transmission function. Fast designs of binary beam shapers and multiorder binary gratings with equal order intensities are reported with the efficiency in the range of 70 - 75% and the root-mean-square errors of 3 - 5%. The design of binary DOEs that transform the gaussian beam into Gauss-Hermite (0,1) and (1,1) complex amplited distributions is also presented.

We propose an iterative method for designing a DOE that transforms the incident coherent wave into a set of elementary light waves, with each of them generating at a preset distance the rectilinear fragment.

The circular laser writing system for writing of arbitrary patterns of diffractive elements in chromium films and photoresists has been developed as an alternative method for laser or e-beam writing in x-y system of coordinates. This system is able to generate binary amplitude and continuous- tone patterns with features of less than 1 micrometers and accuracy of 0.1 micrometers on substrates up to 300 mm diameter. Construction of the circular laser writing system (CLWS) designed at the IA&E and writing strategies such as laser beam addressing in polar coordinate system are described. This article presents the overview and analysis of writing errors. The characteristics of zone plates and linear gratings fabrication and methods of errors measurement are given. The measurements of wavefront errors of binary f/1.1 zone plates and linear polar system gratings with period of less than 5 micrometers fabricated by CLWS demonstrate the high quality of writing strategy.

An IR DOE (the wavelength is 10.6 micrometers ) focusing the Gaussian illuminating beam into a ring of desired width is designed. The phase function of the element is found during 111 iterations of the procedure that relates the problem of focusing into a radial off-axis domain to the problem of focusing into the line-segment.

The paper describes the method of HOE fabrication using direct exposure-controlled e-beam writing of binary and multilevel phase reliefs in a resist layer. Beamsplitters with diffraction efficiency of over 70% have been made using this technique.

The results of computer simulation of the systematic and random 2D multiple-levels phase beam-splitter fabrication errors are presented. The fabrication accuracy necessary to obtain the required beam-splitter performance is evaluated.

Diffractive optical elements (DOEs), especially those used in imaging systems, often have phase distributions of rotational symmetry. A metal mask is designed such that it has different open slit angles on different radii, and the angle on a specific radius is inversely proportional to the phase magnitude there. The substrate is placed immediately under this mask and rotated relative to it during ion etching. The amount of etching on different radii of the substrate is thus modulated by the mask, and the DOE is produced in a single step. Experiments show that this is a practical and low-cost manufacture method when the phase variation along the radius is not too rapid.

It has been found that an intermediate orientational structures were formed in elongated droplets of polymer dispersed cholesteric liquid crystals (PDCLC) under electric field effect. Due to this phenomenon a great anisotropy of the polarized components of volt-contrast curve is observed. Optoelectronic element based on oriented PDCLC film may be used as a modulator of the whole of the light, as a modulator of only one polarized component of the light and as a polarizer.

Subwavelength-period gratings exhibit a number of interesting polarization-selective properties. We investigate several such phenomena: an `inverse' wire-grid polarizer, which transmits TE light while stopping TM light, a guided-mode resonance filter with an order-of-magnitude difference in the width of the reflectance peak for the two orthogonal states of polarization, a metal-coated silicon grating that reflects only TM-polarized light while absorbing the TE-polarized field component, and a metallic polarizing beamsplitter.

The results of 2D multiple-levels phase holographic high efficiency laser beam-splitters computer design and fabrication using direct E-beam phase relief recording in E- resist layer, chemical and reactive ion etching processing are described. The good agreement between theory predictions and the performance of fabricated splitters for a visible range of waves is observed.

The paper addresses the design and the fabrication of beam shapers for polychromatic light. A design criteria is proposed to correct both the color of the zero order, typical of binary structure, and to correct rainbow effects often visible at the border of the shaped beam. A simple case based on binary zone plates is presented with a simplified explanation of the more general procedure. Large binary and continuous profile elements are shown.

The simple two-step method of binary phase microlens holographic recording, using As₄₀Se₆₀ inorganic resist (thermally evaporated As₄₀Se₆₀ layers) is presented. First step is fabrication of a master binary zone plate. During the recording of the holographic lens arrays this master lens was illuminated by the collimated argon laser irradiation and the interference pattern resulting from the interference of zeroth- and first-orders of diffraction was recorded in the As₄₀Se₆₀ layer. The contribution of the higher orders of diffraction was--two orders smaller. During the postexposure treatment the formed image was transferred into the glass substrate. The 8 X 12 planar holographic lens array was formed in glass plate. Each lens unit in array has 3.5 mm diameter, with focal length 37.5 mm and number of zones approximately 200. The zone profiles of each lens unit is rectangular, and diffraction efficiency is approximately 33%.

The theory is presented for novel integrated optics device for data read out from laser disk using the waveguide with a pair of concentric coil diffraction gratings. It is shown that such a system has improved aberration characteristics due to large output aperture.

New optical device splitting the monochromatic light beam into 16 parallel light beams of uniform intensity is demonstrated. The beamsplitter input and output elements are formed as waveguide holograms in chalcogenide layers. The unidirectional coupled out radiation is ensured by the highly reflective mirror which is mounted on the piezocorrector in parallel with the waveguide surface. The mirror sums the light beams emitted into the half-space above the waveguide and through the substrate. By a small change in piezocorrector voltage one can regular the difference in optical paths of the interference light beams and alter the coupled out beam intensities from zero to maximum. The beamsplitter allows to set and stabilize the intensity levels of the coupled out beams. The demonstrated device can be used to design adaptive optic systems and 3D integrated optics. Specifically, on the basis of this beamsplitter it is possible to obtain a matrix source of controlled light beams, which combines functions of beamsplitter and spatial light modulator.

New methods of calculating computer-generated true-color rainbow holograms (CGTCRH) are proposed. The main idea of the proposed work is based on the additive properties of holographic wave front reconstruction such that the result hologram is a superposition of three (or more) holograms, each of them produces different color reconstruction of the same object. These techniques allows obtaining the true- color object reconstruction. White light reconstruction results are discussed. A new method of calculating CGTCRH which are reconstructed by a white light point source is proposed. The presented CGTCRH are the analog of the well- known rainbow holograms, but proposed technique allows to obtain the true-color object reconstruction. White light and monochromatic light reconstruction results are discussed. New method of calculating computer-generated true-color rainbow holograms are proposed. These techniques allows obtaining the true-color object reconstruction. The main idea of the proposed work is based on the additive properties of holographic wave front reconstruction such that the result hologram is a superposition of three (or more) holograms, each of them produces different color reconstruction of the same object.

Novel diffractive optical elements (DOE) with multifunctionality in polarization or color are reviewed. We review three technological approaches for construction of such DOEs with multifunctionality in polarization: the two- substrate birefringent computer generated hologram (BCGH), the multiple order delay BCGH, and the form birefringent computer generated hologram approaches. We also discuss the accurate design of such DOEs enabled by our modeling tools based on rigorous coupled wave analysis. Microfabrication techniques developed for realization of these three types of polarization selective DOEs are described. The developed DOEs with multifunctionality in polarization or color are used to package a 3D optoelectronic VLSI chip, a transparent optical multistage interconnection network, and a wavelength division demultiplexer, providing mechanical and thermal stability, light efficiency, reduced volume, weight, and cost, and increased reliability.

Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) is a powerful tool for nondestructive testing of materials and products. Like holographic interferometry it allows to measure deformations and vibrations in the micrometer and submicrometer range. However current speckle pattern interferometers have rather complicated and expensive optical setups whose elements are aligned with difficulty. Moreover commercial ESPI devices lack flexibility in their optical setups. We present a family of flexible electronic speckle pattern interferometers for out-of-plane and in- plane deformation and vibration analysis which were quite recently developed at Laboratory of Technical Optics, Laser Techniques und Optoelectronics of Fachhochschule Ulm. Their common properties are: extreme simplicity and compactness of the optical setups due to the use of transmission or reflection HOEs or other very small, simple diffusers and a compact laser; very effective usage of laser radiation; no need of sophisticated vibration insulation; alignment easily performed without requiring high accuracy; simple intensity matching of ESPI object and reference waves; optically skulled personnel is not required for ESPI operation and device maintenance; and very low costs of the optical setups. Due to simplicity, compactness and low costs the introduced devices are ideally suited for industrial automated inspections. Extensive experimental results are given which were obtained with the novel ESPI devices.

An electro-optical system employing a reconfigurable lens measures the intensity distribution of an image and corrects degraded imaging properties of an optical system by controlling the lens's phase modulation. A previous system was slow, because it used the simulated annealing algorithm to determine the phase modulation for the correction. In this study the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm is applied to the electro-optical system to achieve faster correction.

The possibility of making optical devices of a new class combining the properties of a spectral demultiplexer and radiation power divider is proposed. Such devices can be realized on the basis of sectioned diffraction grating with curved unequally spaced grooves.

Relatively recently a new method of getting of the 3D image, called ruled stereography, was offered by Mr. V.F. Koleichuk. In quoted publications description of physical bases of the present mode was given there and some qualitative estimations were listed there. In this report there is given more minute description including quantitative estimations of the method.

A concave spherical ruled diffraction grating with a curved nonequidistant grooves is shown to give a stigmatic image of for the three wavelengths, however, unlike the holographic gratings, the stigmatic wavelengths can be chosen in wide limits. A special stigmatic aspherical ruled grating is proposed.

Emission currents in piezoelectric (PZ) transducers used in optoelectronic processing systems are considered. Charge carrier injection in dielectrics from metal electrodes lead to uneven polarization, piezo- and electrooptical properties distributions across thickness of thin layer MDM structures. Theory of these combined PZ and elastic-optical effects in ferroelectric PLZT-type ceramics is given. Mechanical stress-strain state and electromechanical flextensional effect in homogeneous PZ layer used in spatial light modulator are investigated in detail.

Possibilities of all third- and fifth-order monochromatic aberrations elimination of the system consisting of three cemented lenses with the radial distribution of refractive index are shown. The design procedures for removal these aberrations are presented.

Research results and practical developments performed to create an automated database of archival photo-documents are presented. The proposed approach is realized in a system consisting of three components: (1) a subsystem for document input (for picture transformation to either gray-scale or color digital images); (2) a subsystem for digital image processing (for effective noise suppression, defect elimination and image enhancement); and (3) an archiving subsystem (for effective lossless image compression supplemented with an interface to universal database management system). On the basis of the proposed approach a database prototype of archival photo-documents of Russian Academy of Sciences has been created.

In the paper algebraic foundations of fast algorithms like Rader's for discrete orthogonal transforms are analyzed. It is shown that the connection between discrete Fourier transform of length p (p is a prime) and cyclic convolution of length (p - 1) is defined by cyclic structure of Galois group of some cyclotomic field. A class of discrete orthogonal transforms with fast algorithms like Rader- Vinograd is introduced.

A new approach to local spatially-invariant digital image processing is based on the non-traditionally use of a pattern recognition methodology. Corresponding methods of `processing through recognition' (P/R-methods) include (1) the input image features formation in a sliding 2D window, and (2) the classification of every pixel of output image. In this paper the general schemes of P/R-method training and running are given. Some fast parallel-recursive algorithms of the image features formation in a sliding window are shown. The problems of synthesis of output image pixel classifier are discussed. Results of research of P/R-method with reference to some problems of image processing are described. Advantages of the proposed approach are marked.

CD-ROM, CD-I, VCD, CD-DA, Photo-CD, DVD is a partial list of storage devices widely used in multimedia application. Unlimited possibilities available for multimedia developers requires the adequate understanding of possibilities, advantages and disadvantages of each of them. This report gives the analysis of available hardware and software for developing and authoring multimedia projects. Digital image processing methods are considered. The described methods were realized in some multimedia projects.

A series of methods have been developed, which are to support medial image analysis and interpretation in the case of data uncertainty and the lack of information for reliable and correct image interpretation. The methods allow the better representation of informative features for expert's analysis; they use the expert's domain knowledge and help to recover new knowledge from the database of processed image descriptions. Created formal decision rules for image analysis and interpretation imitate human argumentation, and present the solution in easily interpretable form. Developed methods have been applied for early peripheral lung cancer diagnosis. Their use helped to enhance expert's diagnostic abilities and essentially improved results of medical image analysis and decision-making for the experts of different qualifications. Developed methods were useful for correct diagnosis of small radiography indeterminate pulmonary opacities. They supported expert's interpretation of conventional and computed tomography images in the case of uncertainty.

An image is considered to be a blend of several statistically and semantically independent components, containing details of different information classes. Discussing about image decomposition we mean the splitting of an image onto the set of these components. Statistical distinctions of them allow to find effective algorithm for decomposition of received image to several components of different properties. It gives the opportunity to extract from an image only the component of interest, to avoid redundant information from the following analysis, and to create decomposition-based image processing methods. In the paper we consider multicomponent model of image fragment, propose rank algorithm for image decomposition, and discuss image enhancement algorithm, being based on the preliminary decomposition.

The new fast algorithms of the convolution are proposed. The generalized approach to parallel-recursive filters construction with the use, in particular, the partition of impulse response is described. The new classes of the parallel-recursive filters based on the polynomial expansion of the impulse response are introduced. It is established that the application of the filters built with the help of the polynomial bases radically reduces the complexity of signal processing (in comparison with the use of the direct and fast convolution) and removes its dependence on the sliding window size. Analysis of effectiveness of parallel- recursive algorithms in the task of convolution calculating is given. The examples of constructions of parallel- recursive filters based on the polynomial expansion of the impulse responses are given.

We consider topics related to the construction of reconstructing filters for the correction of nonisoplanar distortions of defocusing type. The problem is tackled by the direct identification of shift-invariant models and reconstructing filters on small image fragments. We propose and study a new method for the selection of fragments based on analyzing the conjugation of vectors of independent variables with zero-space.

The main idea of this paper is to formalize a description of an image set. It means to describe an image as a mathematical object. For this it is necessary to determine the elements (points) of an image set, to introduce a distance functions, and to input some measure on image set. It is shown that image set belongs to a set of 2D functions of bounded variations. It is proposed to estimate the quantity characteristics of an image not by one but by two independent variations. To compare the quality of different measures a simple numerical test is described.

A novel optical-digital method for interferogram processing aims at the light field phase retrieval. The method employs a Fourier-correlator with a phase sector-annular filter and the construction of the direction field and frequency field for interferometric fringes. We demonstrate that the phase is reliably retrieved if the signal-to-noise ratio is no less than one.

We discuss a generalization of the familiar iterative regular algorithm on the case of reconstructing an object function from the known modulus of the frequency-limited image with noise. The stabilizing constant is either fitted in an optimal way or decreased with the increasing number of iterations. Numerical examples are presented.

We consider the problem of development the software for express-diagnostics and control of the visualized image of diesel injectors jet. Methods for evaluating the geometrical parameters of the image of atomization jet using the approximation of the fuel jet contour by analytical curves are discussed.

We consider methods for the construction of estimates of geometric parameters of retinal vessels based on the use of a variety of parametric models of the elements of the structure under analysis. The quality of constructing the estimates using real and test images is analyzed.

Ever-increasing volumes of data recording and data processing require minimization of archive storage sizes, which can be efficiently achieved by increasing the density of optical recording. Therefore, in the framework of the present study, it is certainly of interest to explore the possibility of using specklograms recorded which a changed scale for implementing such a task in data array processing as image subtraction. Sine specklograms are recorded without any specifically formed reference beam in multimode laser radiation, they display great potential for processing the optical data received from diffusely objects in natural conditions.

We show that in analyzing and synthesizing electro-optical displacement transducers the diffraction of light flux by the encoding scale and reading cell is the Fresnel diffraction. Analytical relationships between the light flux intensity and the integral signal are found.

The hybrid system of fractal image compression based on the optical and electronic components is offered. Due to natural parallelism of the optical calculations the full search technique of fractal affine transformations is performed. The fast encoding speed and extra low bit rate makes the device useful for applications requiring the real time image compression.

The high-rate characteristics of two models of photonic communications channels are investigated in the case of negligible thermal noise of the receiver. It is shown that with use of m-ary amplitude coding (m > 2) the rate of the fault-free transmission of information can be just several times less than the fundamental restrictions, imposed by quantum-statistical properties of information carriers.