Diffractive optical elements in hybrid lenses: modeling and design by zone decomposition

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Optical Engineering
• Diffractive Optics

Background:

• Hybrid optical systems combine conventional and diffractive optical elements.
• Modeling these systems accurately is crucial for performance prediction.
• Existing models may not fully capture the coherent nature of diffractive elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel modeling approach for hybrid optical systems.
• To treat hybrid systems as multiaperture systems for analysis.
• To introduce and validate a zone decomposition concept for diffractive elements.

Main Methods:

• Modeling hybrid optical systems as multiaperture systems.
• Applying coherent image summation for diffractive optical element zones.
• Comparing the new zone decomposition concept with standard diffraction-order expansion.

Main Results:

• The proposed zone decomposition method provides a coherent summation of images from diffractive optical element zones.
• A hybrid triplet example demonstrates the application and validity of the new concept.
• The new approach offers an alternative to standard diffraction-order expansion for hybrid system analysis.

Conclusions:

• The multiaperture modeling approach with coherent zone summation is effective for hybrid optical systems.
• This zone decomposition concept enhances the understanding and design of diffractive and hybrid optics.
• The proposed method offers a valuable tool for optical engineers working with complex optical designs.