Microstructured Optics for High Performance Optical Systems

摘要

Microstructured Optics enable a new class of optics - new in terms of enabling functionality that has not been achieved so far, as well as in terms of reducing size while increasing performance of existing solutions significantly. In modern optics several demands exist for implementing microstructured optical components. For example, diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are of considerable advantage in combination with refractive lenses to form so-called hybrid optical systems. The inverse chromatic dispersion of diffraction in contrast to refraction opens new possibilities for the compensation of chromatic aberrations. Furthermore, the realization of a diffraction grating on a concave optical surface allows the functional integration of imaging and dispersing in one single optical component, which is a key enabler for miniaturization of spectroscopic systems. In the sophisticated illumination systems microstructured beam shaping elements play an essential role. Micro- and nanostructures in the subwavelength range open alternative solutions for antireflective properties and polarization management.