Publication
Diffractive optics development using a modified stack-and-draw technique |
Pniewski J., Kasztelanic R., Nowosielski J.M., Filipkowski A., Piechal B., Waddie A.J., Pysz D., Kujawa I., Stepien R., Taghizadeh M.R. and Buczynski R. |
Applied Optics55 (18), 2016, 4939-4945, 10.1364/AO.55.004939 |
We present a novel method for the development of diffractive optical elements (DOEs). Unlike standard surface relief DOEs, the phase shift is introduced through a refractive index variation achieved by using different types of glass. For the fabrication of DOEs we use a modified stack-and-draw technique, originally developed for the fabrication of photonic crystal fibers, resulting in a completely flat element that is easy to integrate with other optical components. A proof-of-concept demonstration of the method is presented—a two-dimensional binary optical phase grating in the form of a square chessboard with a pixel size of 5 μm. Two types of glass are used: low refractive index silicate glass NC21 and high refractive index lead-silicate glass F2. The measured diffraction characteristics of the fabricated component are presented and it is shown numerically and experimentally that such a DOE can be used as a fiber interconnector that couples light from a small-core fiber into the several cores of a multicore fiber.