Understanding diffractive optic design in the scalar domain

Abstract

A general procedure is presented for the design of diffractive optical elements, and scalar diffraction theory is used to apply it to the design of three common diffractive elements: a diffractive lens, an array generator, and a correlation filter. The procedure reveals that most common design techniques can be classified as either direct or indirect optimizations. The key feature of the design procedure is the specification of a suitable performance measure based on the designer’s understanding of the optical system and the fabrication technology used to realize the diffractive element. The use of complex-wave amplitude, scale, and phase freedoms in design is also emphasized.