Diffractive optical elements: design principles and applications

Abstract

Diffractive optical elements are finding new and interesting uses in both commercial and military markets, such as holographic scanners, head-up displays, holographic components for optical-disk readout, aberration correction for optical systems, and diffractive elements for monochromatic and broadband imaging systems. In this tutorial the fundamental properties of diffractive optical elements that must be considered in an optical design are emphasized. Methods to incorporate diffractive optical elements into computer-lens-design programs, fabrication techniques, and illustrative applications are also discussed.