Diffractive optics: Design, realization, and applications

This paper presents methods for designing and recording optimal computer-generated diffractive optical elements. The design method is based on an analytic ray-tracing procedure for minimizing aberrations. The recording involves computer-generated masks and multiple lithographic processes in order to form reflective and transmissive multilevel, surface relief-phase, diffractive elements. As a result, the elements can have high diffraction efficiencies over a broad range of incidence angles. Even generalized diffractive elements that operate with highly uniform diffraction efficiency and polychromatic radiation can be designed and recorded by optimizing the shape and height of the relief gratings. To illustrate the effectiveness of the diffractive optical elements, they have been incorporated into a number of applications, involving visible as well as infra-red radiation. Some that deal with coordinate transformation, beam shaping, and polarization control are briefly reviewed.