Diffraction efficiency change of multilayer diffractive optics with environmental temperature

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of an environmental temperature change on multilayer diffractive optical elements (MLDOEs) is studied in terms of the diffraction efficiency and the polychromatic integral diffraction efficiency (PIDE). The relation between the diffraction efficiency of MLDOEs and environmental temperature is analyzed theoretically, and examples of different MLDOEs are discussed in the visible and infrared wavebands. The result shows that the diffraction efficiency reduction is no more than 5% and the PIDE reduction is less than 1.5% for optical plastic MLDOEs in the visible waveband when the environmental temperature ranges from −62 to 71 °C, and that the decrease of both the diffraction efficiency and PIDE for MLDOEs is more significant in the mid-wave infrared than in the long-wave infrared. The analysis result can be considered during optical engineering design with MLDOEs.