Dark GPC

Generalized Phase Contrast (GPC) is an efficient method for efficiently shaping light into speckle-free contiguous optical distributions useful in diverse applications such as static beam shaping, optical manipulation and recently, for excitation in two-photon optogenetics. GPC typically results in a 3x intensified user defined input mask shape against a dark background. In this work, we emphasize GPC’s capability of optimal destructive interference, normally used to create the dark background surrounding the shaped light. We also study input parameters wherein the locations of light and darkness are interchanged with respect to typical GPC output, thus resulting to a well-defined structured darkness. The conditions that give destructive interference for the output are then applied to near-arbitrary shapes. Preliminary experimental results are presented using dynamic spatial light modulator to form scaled arbitrary darkness shapes. Supporting demonstrations that reverse the light and dark regions of amplitude-modulated input are also presented as a related case of structuring destructive interference. Our analysis and experimental demonstrations show a simplified approach in the generation of extended regions of destructive interference within coherent beams. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.