A diffractive optical element (DOE) is an optical component that uses the principles of diffraction to manipulate light. Unlike conventional lenses, which rely on refraction to bend light, diffractive optical elements use a pattern of microstructures or a surface relief pattern to diffract light and produce the desired optical effect.
DOEs are used in a wide range of applications, including laser beam shaping, beam splitting, and wavefront control. They are particularly useful in situations where conventional optical components are bulky or inefficient, or where precise control over the phase and amplitude of light is required.
One of the key advantages of DOEs is that they can be designed to produce very complex optical functions, such as multi-focal lenses or holographic images, using a single, lightweight component. DOEs can also be used in combination with other optical elements, such as lenses and mirrors, to create more complex optical systems.
For structure depths <10µm we use various lithography technologies to create the master. Here electronic data is converted into physical structures. With an electroplating or electrforming process, an exact galvanic copy is made from the master. Depending on the mastering process, multiple stampers can be made from one master, allowing us to supply identical replication of the tooling over time!
This Development process from mastering untill injection moulding is often called LIGA. Feel free to contact us for more information.
