María and Ignacio published a new paper in Optics Letters entitled «Nondiffracting Bessel beams with polarization state that varies with propagation distance«. Link

In this work we use a reflective geometry where a single parallel-aligned spatial light modulator device is used to spatially modulate two orthogonal linear polarizations with two axicon phase profiles. Then, by adding an extra phase retardation radial profile between these linear states, we are able to modulate the state of polarization along the line focus of the axicon. We provide experimental results that demonstrate the polarization axial control with zero-order and higher order Bessel beams.

The work was developed during our stay at SDSU, in collaboration with our friends Jeff Davis, Katie Badham, and Don Cottrell.

The first day of publication, the paper was the most downloaded paper in Optics Letters, and it was among the Top10 downloads in Optics Letters in the month of November 2015!

María M. Sánchez-López and Ignacio Moreno stayed three months at the Electro-Optics Lab of San Diego State University (SDSU), in the period July – September 2015.

During their stay, thay worked with Profs. Jeffrey A. Davis and Don M. Cottrell, as well as some of the students, like Katherine Badham and Sam Delaney.

The main focus of research has been devoted to the study of q-plate devices.

The picture shows María with Jeff, Katie and Sam.

Pascuala García (exhibition coordinator) and María del Mar Sánchez (member of the working group) participate in the composition of the exhibition “Mujeres Investigadoras en la Luz” (Women in Light Science), that was launched last September in the XI RNO in Salamanca. The exhibition can be downloaded at: link

Two of the objectives of the United Nations in the declaration of 2015 as the International Year of Light are “to promote women’s empowerment in science” and “to promote education amongst young people”. Following both lines, the WOMEN IN PHYSICS GROUP of RSEF – Real Sociedad Española de Física, in collaboration with SEDOPTICA – the Spanish Optical Society, have composed an exhibition with the life aspects and scientific contribution of 12 women researchers who have contributed to fundamental discoveries in Optics and Photonics.

SPIE is also supporting it:  link

A related video can be found at the International Year of Light webpage: link

We have published a new paper in Optical Engineering entitled «Experimental implementation of a virtual optical beam propagator system based on a Fresnel diffraction algorithm«.

Here we present an optical system for a virtual beam propagator evaluation without any moving element. It is based on the encoding of the Fresnel diffraction through a fast transform algorithm, and the use of a spatial light modulator to display the porpagated pattern. The paper discusses the limits imposed by the pixelated structure of the SLM.

This work a been done in collaboration with our friends Jeffrey Davis, Don Cottrell and the students at SDSU.

The paper can be downloaded at: link

We published a new paper in Optica Pura y Aplicada entitled «Optical invisibility by refraction index matching… but revealed by fluorescence«, where we show a set of simple experiments to demonstrate optical invisibility by refractive index matching between sunflower oil and pyrex glass. However, the presence of the cloaked object can be revealed by using the fluorescence properties of the sunflower oil.

This paper was published in a special section of OPA dedicated to outreach experiments in Optics, related to the 2015 – International Year of Light.

The paper can be downloaded at: link

María del Mar Sánchez López has been recognized as Senior Member of SPIE – The International Society for Optics and Photonics. She received this recognition during the SPIE Optics & Photonics meeting held in San Diego during August 2015, 9th to 13th.

The complete list of new SPIE Senior members can be viewed in: link

SPIE Senior Members are Members of distinction who will be honored for their professional experience, their active involvement with the optics community and SPIE, and/or significant performance that sets them apart from their peers.

María M. Sánchez-López and Ignacio Moreno attend the meeting SPIE Optics & Photonics held in San Diego during August 2015, 9th to 13th.

The oral communication entitled «Spectral characterization and tuning with liquid-crystal retarders» was presented within the session Optics and Photonics for Information Processing IX. The proceedings of this presentation can be found at Proc. SPIE 9598, 95980E (September 9, 2015); doi:10.1117/12.2188629 link

Pascuala García has been recognized as Senior Member of OSA – The Optical Society of America.

The 2015 complete listing of new OSA Senior members can be viewed in: link

OSA Senior Members are well-established individuals with at least 10 years of significant professional experience and with a designation that recognizes their experience and professional accomplishments or service within their field that sets them apart from their peers.

We published a new paper in Optics Letters entitled «Azimuthal multiple-beam interference effects with combinations of vortex beams» . In this work we show a technique to create a series of vortex beams with positive and negative topological charges and develop a geometry where they interfere creating azimuthal multiple beam interference effects.

This work has been done in collaboration with our friens at San Diego State University.

The paper achieved impact since it has been on the top10 most downloaded papers in Optics Letters in May 2015.

María del Mar Sánchez and Ignacio Moreno completed a series of seminars about Optics & Photonics at the ‘AUNEX – Aulas de la Experiencia’, organized by the University Miguel Hernandez, and sponsored by the Obra Social La Caixa.

These seminars have been included in the activities related to the IYL2015, the International Year of Light event at the UMH. And they have been imparted at the seven locations of the university in the province of Alicante: Torrevieja, El Campello, Ibi, Elche, Altea, Benidom, and Orihuela. The picture shows us with the group in Orihuela.