Optical systems including a chromatic diffractive optical element corrector and associated methods
View Patent ↗A diffractive optical element (DOE) corrector for use with three different wavelengths includes a first diffractive element on a first surface of a first material, the first diffractive element diffracting a first wavelength of the three wavelengths, while directing a majority of light of second and third wavelengths of the three wavelengths into a zero-th order, and a second diffractive element on a second surface of a second material, the second material being different from the first material, the second surface being different from and in an optical path of the first surface, the second diffractive element diffracting the second wavelength, while directing a majority of light of the first and third wavelengths into a zero-th order.
1. A plurality of integrated micro-optical systems, comprising:
a first wafer having a plurality of holes therein;
an approximately spherical lens inserted each hole;
a second wafer including a plurality of diffractive optical elements, each diffractive optical element aligned with each approximately spherical lens, each diffractive optical element providing different focal lengths at three different wavelengths for each micro-optical system; and
means for securing the first and second wafers together, each micro-optical system including an approximately spherical lens in a hole and a diffractive optical element.
2. A single integrated micro-optical system separated from the plurality of micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 .
3. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element corrects for chromatic dispersion of the micro-optical element.
4. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element provides a different numerical aperture for each of the three different wavelengths for each micro-optical system.
5. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element includes adjacent steps within a cycle having a difference of more than 2π for at least one of the three different wavelengths.
6. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optical element directs a majority of light of a first wavelength into a zero-th order and diffracts second and third wavelengths.
7. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the diffractive optical element comprises:
a first diffractive element on a first surface in an optical path of each integrated micro-optical system; and
a second diffractive element on a second surface in the optical path of each integrated micro-optical system.
8. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first surface is of a first material and the second surface is of a second material.
9. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 8 , wherein second and third wavelengths have a substantially harmonic relationship, the second and third wavelengths being more harmonic in the first material and less harmonic in the second material.
10. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a phase delay ratio between the second and third wavelengths in the second material is less than about 1.95 or greater than about 2.05.
11. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a phase delay ratio between the second and third wavelengths in the first material is between about 1.95 and about 2.05.
12. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second material is provided directly on the first material.
13. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second material is secured to the first material.
14. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second material is more dispersive than the first material.
15. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first diffractive element directs a majority of light of second and third wavelengths of the three wavelengths into a zero-th order, and the second diffractive element diffracts the second wavelength, while directing a majority of light of the first and third wavelengths into a zero-th order.
16. The plurality of integrated micro-optical systems as claimed in claim 1 , wherein second and third wavelengths have a substantially harmonic relationship.