Wavelength independent grating lens system

Abstract

Grating lenses are small, light, and easily mass-produced. However, wavelength variation in the light source causes aberration and changes the focal length of the grating lens. Therefore, it has been difficult to use grating lenses in high-precision focusing optical systems that use a light source with wavelength variations (e.g., a diode laser). To solve this problem, we designed a grating lens system of two grating lenses, which substantially suppresses aberration and keeps the focal length constant at several tens of nanometers of variation. Each grating is made as a concentric circle. These lenses are arranged so that their centers are collinear. Diffraction angle changes due to wavlength variations are compensated for by the second grating. Our calculations confirmed that the allowable wavelength range was +/-15 nm or more for a numerical aperture (N.A.) of 0.5. We made a prototype of this grating lens system by electron beam lithography and confirmed that this lens system was not affected by limited wavelength variations.