Research Activities
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Partially coherent light fields:
We study partially coherent beams, both from the spatial and the temporal
point of view, and the effects of the coherence state of sources on the
propagation features of the irradiated fields. In particular, modifications
of the transverse intensity profile, of the optical spectrum, or of the
polarization state are analyzed on propagation. On the other hand, we
study how, through measurements on the propagated field, it is possible to
characterize light beams or to gain information about the coherence
properties of the source.
Propagation and diffraction of coherent light fields:
Our activity is mainly devoted to study light beams showing peculiar propagating
properties, such as diffraction-free beams, flattened-profile beams,
rotating beams. Furthermore, research is carried on about the design, both
within the scalar approximation and through an exact vectorial approach, of
diffractive optical elements performing non-conventional transformations of
the field profile or of the polarization state of light beams.
Scattering of e.m. waves by cylindrical structures:
We study the scattering of electromagnetic waves by cylindrical objects in
the presence of partially reflecting surfaces. Our work was originated by
the need of designing quasi-optical structures, allowing the injection of
microwaves into the plasma of a Tokamak, for heating purposes.
Our approach, exploiting a representation of the diffracted field in
terms of cylindrical waves and the knowledge of the complex reflection
coefficient of the surface, was eventually applied to the
scattering of light field by optical fibers in the presence of slabs, to
the near-field optics and to the generation of surface waves.
Didactics:
We propose simple models and demonstrations, useful for students of the
first years of the course in Engineering or Physics, for the study of the
fundamentals of Optics and Quantum Mechanics. Our resuts are generally
published in European Journal of Physics
.