Diffractive optical elements(DOEs)have a wide range of applications in optics and photonics,thanks to their capability to perform complex wavefront shaping in a compact form.However,widespread applicability of DOEs is...Diffractive optical elements(DOEs)have a wide range of applications in optics and photonics,thanks to their capability to perform complex wavefront shaping in a compact form.However,widespread applicability of DOEs is still limited,because existing fabrication methods are cumbersome and expensive.Here,we present a simple and cost-effective fabrication approach for solid,high-performance DOEs.The method is based on conjugating two nearly refractive index-matched solidifiable transparent materials.The index matching allows for extreme scaling up of the elements in the axial dimension,which enables simple fabrication of a template using commercially available 3D printing at tens-of-micrometer resolution.We demonstrated the approach by fabricating and using DOEs serving as microlens arrays,vortex plates,including for highly sensitive applications such as vector beam generation and super-resolution microscopy using MINSTED,and phase-masks for three-dimensional single-molecule localization microscopy.Beyond the advantage of making DOEs widely accessible by drastically simplifying their production,the method also overcomes difficulties faced by existing methods in fabricating highly complex elements,such as high-order vortex plates,and spectrum-encoding phase masks for microscopy.展开更多
基金funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No.802567-ERC-Five-Dimensional Localization Microscopy for Sub-Cellular Dynamics,under project number 101081911,HORIZON-ERC-POC,3D-OpticsIsrael Science Foundation,grant no.969/22+1 种基金the Pazy Foundation,a University of Leeds University Academic Fellowship,a Royal Society Research Grant(RGS\R2\202446)AMS Springboard Award(SBF006\1138)awarded to A.P.
文摘Diffractive optical elements(DOEs)have a wide range of applications in optics and photonics,thanks to their capability to perform complex wavefront shaping in a compact form.However,widespread applicability of DOEs is still limited,because existing fabrication methods are cumbersome and expensive.Here,we present a simple and cost-effective fabrication approach for solid,high-performance DOEs.The method is based on conjugating two nearly refractive index-matched solidifiable transparent materials.The index matching allows for extreme scaling up of the elements in the axial dimension,which enables simple fabrication of a template using commercially available 3D printing at tens-of-micrometer resolution.We demonstrated the approach by fabricating and using DOEs serving as microlens arrays,vortex plates,including for highly sensitive applications such as vector beam generation and super-resolution microscopy using MINSTED,and phase-masks for three-dimensional single-molecule localization microscopy.Beyond the advantage of making DOEs widely accessible by drastically simplifying their production,the method also overcomes difficulties faced by existing methods in fabricating highly complex elements,such as high-order vortex plates,and spectrum-encoding phase masks for microscopy.
