Diffractive optics and micro-optics: introductionto the feature issue

Robert Magnusson and Michael T. Gale

This issue of Applied Optics features 16 papers on the fabrication, design, and applications of diffractiveoptics and micro-optics. A companion issue of the Journal of the Optical Society of America A, guestedited by J. N. Mait and H. P. Herzig, presents papers that emphasize the modeling and design ofdiffractive and micro-optical components. © 2001 Optical Society of America

OCIS codes: 050.0050, 110.3960, 220.3740, 220.4830, 230.1950, 260.3160, 350.3590, 100.3010,120.2040.

The Optical Society of America �OSA� Topical Meetingon Diffractive Optics and Micro-Optics �DOMO� washeld in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 18–22 June2000. With a record number of submitted papers, alarge number of attendees, and quality exhibits thisfifth meeting on DOMO was a resounding success.The delightful architecture, historical monuments,and engaging citizens of Quebec City provided a stim-ulating atmosphere for collegial interactions, energeticdiscussions, and extracurricular activities. This fea-ture issue of Applied Optics presents expanded ver-sions of some of the papers presented at DOMO 2000as well as some additional contributions. These pa-pers are oriented toward the fabrication, design, andapplications of diffractive elements and micro-opticalcomponents. A companion issue of the Journal of theOptical Society of America A, guest edited by J. N. Maitand H. P. Herzig, presents papers that emphasize themodeling and design of diffractive and micro-opticalcomponents.

Four papers address applications of diffractive el-ements for imaging and display. Ura et al. demon-strate the use of reflection gratings for color splittingand imaging, including an experimental confirma-

tion. Bokor and Davidson fabricate aplanatic dif-fractive elements to demonstrate imaging withreduced aberrations compared with correspondingflat elements. Gruber designs diffractive elementsthat are experimentally realized as phase-onlysurface-relief structures for faster-image generation.Urey presents theoretical and experimental resultson the implementation of a diffractive exit-pupil ex-pander for display applications.

With efficient coupling of light to optical fibers askey motivation, the next three papers present thedesign, fabrication, and characterization of micro-optical elements for such applications. Schilling etal. address the beam shaping of high-power diodelasers with compact micro-optical elements that aresuitable for mass production. Bachelot et al. fabri-cate polymer elements on cleaved fiber end faces byemploying a photopolymerization technique. Fuand Bryan then present a hybrid diffractive–refractive lens that possesses a continuous relief pro-file by using a focused ion-beam-milling method.

The design and optimization of diffractive opticalcomponents is treated in the subsequent three pa-pers. Orihara et al. discuss the optimization ofhybrid-level binary zone plates in which the zonescontain differing numbers of phase levels. Bigueand Ambs apply an optimum multicriteria-design ap-proach to the iterative Fourier transform algorithmand present simulation results and their experimen-tal verification. Kuo et al. design diffractive ele-ments by applying an irregular etch-depth sequencefor efficiency enhancement.

Two papers address polarizing beam splitters thatare implemented with diffractive elements with highspatial frequency. Pajewski et al. design a polariz-ing beam splitter with subwavelength features thatworks in the first or the second diffraction order,

When this feature was compiled, R. Magnusson�robert.magnusson@uconn.edu� was with the Department of Elec-trical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington,Texas 76019; he is now with the Department of Electricaland Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs,Connecticut 06269. M. T. Gale is with the Centre Suissed’Electronique et de Microtechnique, Badenerstrasse 569, CH-8048 Zurich, Switzerland.

Received 13 June 2001; revised manuscript received 13 June2001.

0003-6935�01�325817-02$15.00�0© 2001 Optical Society of America

10 November 2001 � Vol. 40, No. 32 � APPLIED OPTICS 5817

depending on the polarization state of the incidentwave. Soares and Cescato demonstrate that a met-allized photoresist grating acts as a reflecting polar-izing beam splitter.

Finally, four papers report on diffractive compo-nents and applications. Minguez-Vega et al. em-ploy diffractive lenses in a system that realizesscale-tunable optical correlation under incoherentillumination. LeCompte et al. present a character-ization and linearization procedure for photoresistfor application to gray-scale fabrication of diffrac-tive components. Levy et al. demonstrate on-axiscentrosymmetric computer-generated holograms by

means of the encoding and the reconstruction of acomplex function with both phase and amplitudevariations by using phase-only modulation. Liuand Ohba show the effects of inclination betweencrossed gratings in Talbot interferometry, includingexperimental verification of their theoretical anal-ysis.

This feature issue came together through the dili-gent efforts of authors, reviewers, and the OSA staff.We gratefully acknowledge these contributions.And we look forward to an outstanding DOMO meet-ing in 2002. See you all there!

5818 APPLIED OPTICS � Vol. 40, No. 32 � 10 November 2001