Systems and methods of aberration correction in optical systems

1. A diffraction grating for use in a multi-wavelength channel optical system comprising a plurality of individual wavelength channels, the grating including:

a substrate; and

an array of diffraction elements written onto the substrate and having a spacing of adjacent diffraction elements defined so as to spatially separate the individual wavelength channels from an incident optical beam, wherein each diffraction element comprises a curvature across the face of the grating, and wherein the spacing of adjacent diffraction elements and the curvature of each of the diffraction elements across the face of the grating are defined so as to impart predefined phase changes to the wavelength channels to at least partially correct the incident optical beams for optical aberrations present in the optical system.

2. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the array of diffraction elements defines a phase profile which at least partially reverses aberrations to optical beams by the optical system.

3. The diffraction grating according to claim 2 wherein the spacing of adjacent diffraction elements comprises a spacing of adjacent diffraction elements that varies across the grating in a dimension of diffraction based on the optical aberrations to optical beams present in the optical system.

4. The diffraction grating according to claim 2 wherein the curvature of the diffraction elements comprises a curvature that varies across the grating, relative to the substrate, based on the optical aberrations to optical beams present in the optical system.

5. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the optical aberration to the incident optical beams includes one or both of optical coma and spherical aberration of the incident optical beams.

6. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the diffraction elements include grooves, ridges or slots physically defined in the substrate.

7. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the predefined phase changes to the wavelength channels are determined by computer simulation of the optical system.

8. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is planar.

9. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the curvature of at least some of the diffraction elements is zero.

10. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the spacing of some of the adjacent diffraction elements does not vary.

11. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the array of diffraction elements is written into the substrate.

12. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the spacing of adjacent diffraction elements as the function of position and the curvature of each of the diffraction elements across the face of the grating are defined based on a pre-calculated phase profile determined through a measurement of the incident optical beam propagating through the optical system.

13. The diffraction grating according to claim 12 wherein the measurement is obtained using real data from a reconfigurable diffraction grating in the optical system.

14. The diffraction grating according to claim 12 wherein the measurement is obtained using a measurement from a simulation of the optical system.

15. The diffraction grating according to claim 12 wherein the measurement is obtained using a phase surface implemented in modeling software.

16. The diffraction grating according to claim 1 wherein the predefined phase changes are calculated by simulation of the optical system.

17. A multi-wavelength optical switch, including:

at least one input optical fiber port for projecting an input optical beam comprising a plurality of individual wavelength channels from a connected input optical fiber;

at least one output optical fiber port for projecting an output optical beam to a connected output optical fiber;

a lens and/or mirror for focusing or collimating the input optical beam in one or more dimensions;

switching optics for selectively switching the input optical beam along predetermined paths between the at least one input port and the at least one output port; and

a diffractive device including a substrate and an array of diffraction elements physically written onto the substrate and having a spacing of adjacent diffraction elements, wherein each diffraction element comprises a curvature across the face of the grating, the array of spaced-apart diffraction elements is configured to:

i) spatially separate the individual wavelength channels within the input optical beam; and

ii) impose predefined phase changes to the wavelength channels to at least partially correct for optical aberrations to the input optical beam, the output from the diffractive device being the output optical beam.

18. The optical switch according to claim 17 wherein the diffraction elements include grooves, ridges or slots physically defined in the substrate.

19. The optical switch according to claim 17 wherein the diffractive device reduces or removes side lobes in a cross sectional beam spot of the output optical beam.

20. The optical switch according to claim 17 wherein the diffractive device controls a cross sectional spot size of the output beam at the at least one output fiber.

21. The diffraction grating according to claim 17 wherein the curvature of at least some of the diffraction elements is zero.

22. The diffraction grating according to claim 17 wherein the spacing of some of the adjacent diffraction elements does not vary.

23. The diffraction grating according to claim 17 wherein the array of diffraction elements is written into the substrate.

24. The diffraction grating according to claim 17 wherein the spacing of adjacent diffraction elements as the function of position and the curvature of each diffraction element across the face of the grating are defined based on a pre-calculated phase profile determined through a measurement of the incident optical beam propagating through the optical system.

25. The optical switch according to claim 24 wherein the measurement is obtained using real data from a reconfigurable diffraction grating in the optical system.

26. The optical switch according to claim 24 wherein the measurement is obtained using measurements from a simulation of the optical system.

27. The optical switch according to claim 24 wherein the measurement is obtained using a phase surface implemented in modeling software.

28. The diffraction grating according to claim 17 wherein the predefined phase changes are calculated by simulation of the optical system.