Diffractive optical elements (DOE) diffract light at the microstructured surface. Thanks to their high level of functionality, several optical functions can be integrated simultaneously in a single element. DOEs thus enable very compact, lightweight and elegant practical solutions, which with purely refractive macro optics, are only possible at a very high cost.
Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are optical components that deflect light into multiple orders at precise angles. Periodicity and their spatial frequencies, rather than the surface topography profile, determine the optical performance.
The simplest DOE profile is binary: two profile planes produce the required phase shift of the light. Multi-stage profiles with a single grating period allow for more precise phase control.
The use of a diffractive lens as a flat optical element can be beneficial in order to limit the volume of a conventional optical system and correct chromatic aberration.
Generation of arbitrary far-field profiles with a well-defined angular distribution for partial incoherent light. Corresponding diffractive diffusers are used in laser lighting applications, among others.
Our gratings have various application possibilities. They are used for spatial splitting of spectral light components or find application as imaging, beam shaping & beam splitting components.
and various other application possibilities
The efficiency of a diffractive optical element is enhanced in micro-optics by two factors:
The zero order of a diffractive optical element is reduced at ZEISS by three factors:
The roughness of a diffractive optical element is reduced by optimizing the entire manufacturing process.
The combination of writing process, development process and etching process at ZEISS delivers precise results with very low roughness. These low-scatter, diffractive, optical elements with sub-nanometer output roughness are targeted and beneficial in certain applications.
Features | Parameters |
---|---|
Operating wavelength |
10 nm < λ < 2 μm, EUV to NIR |
Materials |
|
Substrate surface |
Flat & curved including freeform |
Substrate dimensions |
0.5 mm to 300 mm |
Substrate thickness |
1 mm to 50 mm |
Coating |
Metallic & dielectric |
Type |
One- and two-sided structuring |
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¹ From regular periodic micro-lens arrays to randomized continuous phase profiles, Advanced Optical Technologies, Band 4, Heft 1, Seiten 47–61, eISSN 2192-8584, ISSN 2192-8576, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aot-2014-0062