An accordion lattice based on the Talbot effect

Abstract

We introduce an idea of producing an optical lattice relied on the Talbot effect. Our alternative scheme is based on the interference of light behind a diffraction grating in the near-field regime. We demonstrate 1-D and 2-D optical lattices with the simulations and experiments. This Talbot optical lattice can be broadly used from quantum simulations to quantum information. The Talbot effect is usually used in lensless optical systems, therefore it provides small aberrations.