Emitting far-field multicolor patterns and characters through plastic diffractive micro-optics elements illuminated by common Gaussian lasers in the visible range

Abstract

Far-field multicolor patterns and characters are emitted effectively in a relatively wide and deep spatial region by plastic diffractive micro-optics elements (DMOEs), which are illuminated directly by common Gaussian lasers in the visible range. Phase-only DMOEs are composed of a large number of fine step-shaped phase microstructures distributed sequentially over the plastic wafer selected. The initial DMOEs in silicon wafer are fabricated by an innovative technique with a combination of a single-mask ultraviolet photolithography and low-cost and rapid wet KOH etching. The fabricated silicon DMOEs are further converted into a nickel mask by the conventional electrochemical method, and they are finally transferred onto the surface of the plastic wafer through mature hot embossing. Morphological measurements show that the surface roughness of the plastic DMOEs is in the nanometer range, and the feature height of the phase steps in diffractive elements is in the submicrometer scale, which can be designed and adjusted flexibly according to requirements. The dimensions of the DMOEs can be changed from the order of millimeters to centimeters. A large number of pixel phase microstructures with a square microappearance employed to construct the phase-only DMOEs are created by the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, according to the target patterns and characters and common Gaussian lasers manipulated by the DMOEs fabricated.