Controlling self-healing of optical field based on moire dual-microlens arrays

Optical self-healing is a repairing phenomenon of a beam in the propagation, as it is perturbed by an opaque object. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the moire distributed dual-microlens array enables to generate optical fields with better healing ability to withstand defects than their counterparts of a single microlens array. By utilizing the double parameter scanning method, the self-healing degree of the optical field is significantly affected by both the interval distance and the relative angle of the dual-microlens arrays. The self-healing level is decreased significantly by lengthening the interval between the two microlens array with a small twist angle, while increasing the angle enhances the self-healing degree. Further study manifests the self-healing process with respect to the size and central location of the obstacle. The research results provide a simple and effective method to generate self-healing optical wave fields, which have potential applications including optical communication, assisted imaging technology, and even intense laser physics.

Automated summary

In this study, it was demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that the moiré distributed dual-microlens array can generate optical fields with better healing ability compared to a single microlens array. The self-healing degree of the optical field was found to be significantly affected by both the interval distance and the relative angle of the dual-microlens arrays. The research provides a simple and effective method to generate self-healing optical wave fields with potential applications in optical communication, assisted imaging technology, and intense laser physics.