Ideas

1. Acousto-Ultrasonic Optical Fiber Sensors

Using optical measurements to produce non-contact images.

From single fiber sensors and optical fiber devices, to fiber-optic interferometers and fiber Bragg gratings, the paper linked above provides a summary of all optical fiber sensors used to date. Using acousto optics, physicists are able to detect dynamic strain signals, inclduing but not limited to general sound and acoustic signal, high-frequency signals, and other accoustic emissions.

2. Acousto Optic Modulators

Using a double-pass acousto optic modulator system to elimate dependence of the beam diffraction angle on the modulation frequency.

3. Acousto Optic Deflector to Optically Trap Small Molecules

Using optical traps to hold molecules in place.

4. Laser Cooling

Using light for the cooling of atoms.

5. Liquid Crystal Lasers and Polarized Light

Liquid crystal lasers serve a variety of purposes with their multitude of features including wideband tunability and large coherence area, with the potiential to combine large output and miniature cavity dimensions. These lasers use a liquid crystal as their resonator cavities, allowing selection of emission wavelength and polarization from the source laser itself.

6. Diffractive Waveplates

Diffractive waveplates are optical devices that, if produced successfully, could yield way to a multitude of uses inclduing displays with the ability to use all available light, compact beam steering systems tolerant to high power beams, and spectrometers with broadband gratings. These devices are essentially optical components with diffraction effciency as high as a Braggs grating, but with a spectrum of wavelengths and divergence angles much broader.