The overall aim of the project was the optical engineering of the vortices direct recorded on azopolymers by laser beam for investigation of their polarization features.

The two items have to be under development:

1. Digital optical design of different kinds of the vortices taking into account the polarization component of electrical field;

2. The holographic recording media from azopolymers together with the one-step direct relief formation recording methods.

The need for optical image processing methods relies on (1) the progress in computer science that boost optical processing; (2) the technological needs for obtaining of recording media with properties ranging from sensitivity to sustainability of environmental changes; and (3) the progress in the understanding influences of complex polarization wavefronts. From this the scientific objectives under investigation follow:

1. Digital optical design of different kinds of the vortices taking into account the polarization components of electrical field;

2. Elaboration of the technology of polarization holographic recording in azopolymers;

3. Recording of DO elements forming optical vortices and analysis of their phase-polarization structure.    

Polarization optics associated with correlation techniques and Fourier optics has particular sensitivity to detect and recognize details of objects in scattering or poor-visibility media. Vortices are sophisticated polarization component, which creates specific polarization distributions regardless of the incident polarization direction of the light. Specifically, vortex converts laser Gaussian beams into so-called "donut hole" shaped beam which is the trapping region of optical tweezers for biological cells and nanoparticle trapping /manipulations. Holograms produced by SLMs can be used to measure orbital angular momentum states â„“, where a particular Laguerre-Gaussian mode is converted back into the fundamental mode by matching the â„“ of the hologram to that of the incoming beam.

Activity report