Proposal and demonstration of a spectrometer using a diffractive optical element with dual dispersion and focusing functionality

Abstract

We propose an optical spectrometer using a hybrid grating-Fresnel (G-Fresnel) diffractive optical element. Theoretical simulation shows that a spectral resolution of approximately 1 nm can be potentially achieved with a millimeter-sized G-Fresnel. A proof-of-concept G-Fresnel-based spectrometer with subnanometer spectral resolution is experimentally demonstrated. The proposed method provides a promising new way for realizing compact optical spectrometers.