Master's thesis (March 1997)
Application of Genetic Algorithms in Diffractive Optics Design
ABSTRACT
The scalar diffraction theory is used to derive a 2D mathematical model for light propagating through a phase mask. The Green's function approach is used to compute the intensity of the light in the near field of the phase mask.
An overview of optimization methods and an introduction to Genetic Algorithms is given. Genetic Algorithms use analogies to natural evolution and heredity to optimize an objective function. The Micro-genetic algorithm which operates on a small population of solutions with an adaptive mutation scheme is used to obtain a phase mask profile that approximates a desired intensity image.
Numerical results for a problem with a known exact solution are shown. Suggestions for future research in this direction are also discussed.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Diffraction theory
2.1. Scalar diffraction theory
2.2. Green's formula
3. Mathematical model
3.1. Forward problem
3.2. Inverse problem
4. Optimization by genetic algorithms
4.1. Overview of search methods
4.2. Simple genetic algorithm
4.3. Further development of genetic algorithms
4.4. Micro-genetic algorithm
5. Numerical results
6. Conclusions
Bibliography
Last modified: August 11, 1999.
Send questions to Svetlana Rudnaya: rudnaya@math.umn.edu