Design of polarization-independent transmission fused-silica grating with high diffraction efficiency

Abstract

The high diffraction efficiency and high dispersion ability of diffraction grating plays a very important role in laser systems. Fused-silica transmission gratings not only have board band, high diffraction efficiency and high damage threshold, but also have the advantage of light path without shelter comparing to reflective gratings. In this paper, the study of polarization-independent transmission fused-silica grating is carried out, and the influence of rectangular and trapezoidal grating microstructures on the -1st diffraction efficiency of grating is analyzed. For trapezoidal groove structure, in the range of 80 to 90 degrees, the distributions of diffraction efficiency at different bottom angle are calculated and analyzed. The structure parameters of the grating are optimized by rigorous coupled wave theory. The designed grating groove density is 1440 lines/mm. The -1st diffraction efficiency of the grating is over 96% for both of TE and TM polarized waves at the Littrow angle (49.7 degrees) with the center wavelength of 1060nm. Within the bandwidth of 42nm (from 1039 to 1081nm), the -1st diffraction efficiency of the designed grating is theoretically greater than 90% for both of TE and TM polarized waves.