Diffractive Optics Technology – Introduction

Diffractive optics are making their way into industry. The areas of applications range from bio technology via printing, material processing, sensing, contact-less testing to technical optics and optical metrology. Diffractive optics provide value-add to laser systems. By incorporating diffractive optical elements (DOE) in the optical field of a laser beam, the beam’s “shape” can be controlled and changed flexibly according to application needs. The base here is the microstructure of the DOE which acts like a router for photons directing their way to propagate through free space. The technical discipline of diffractive optics provides methods to design and implement DOE microstructures in order to manipulate light and photons and by this implement a desired function.

Remarkable progress in DOE design and implementation has been achieved within the last few years. Fabrication techniques have been proven to be reliable and cost-efficient. DOE have been shown to be effective in various technical applications. In some cases DOE have even opened the doors to new solutions.