Recent results from numerical studies suggest that transversely distributed structures can be used to design nanoscale, binary phase, pseudo-randomly distributed structured surfaces (PDnS) that enhance transmission through dielectric optical windows. The PDnS are designed using deterministic rules, which allows minimumfeature dimensional control, repeatable uniformity, and some selection rules for transmitted intensity scatter profiles. Although the redistributed features within the PDnS unit cells are subwavelength in scale, numerical results indicate that the unit cells are not required to be subwavelength in size. This allows for customized surface correlated structures, with nearly zero root-mean-square surface (height) roughness. PDnS are in direct contrast to periodic subwavelength binary grating structures, which have constant periods, a single-phase transition within their unit cell, and are at least deep enough to result in π-phase shifted emerging wavefront segments. We chose a series of PDnS patterns to realize optical transmission enhancement above Fresnel limits, within a limited 2 μm wavelength bandwidth centered at 4 μm. To ease fabrication requirements, the designs used were restricted to a binary phase depth close to quarter-wave, and unit cell dimensions ranging from 4 µm to 6 µm. PDnS patterns were prototyped using two-photon-absorption direct laser-writing in a photosensitive polymer film supported by a silicon substrate. To investigate fidelity and tolerance of the candidate design, the PDnS patterns were characterized using a UV-laser confocal microscope. Unpolarized spectral transmission of the structure depth was measured using a spectrophotometer. The experimental results were compared to numerical predictions using rigorous coupled-wave analysis simulations.
Random antireflection nano-structured surfaces (ARS) have been studied for their broadband antireflection (AR) properties and polarization insensitivity. ARS are designed and modeled using effective medium approximations (EMA) as thin layers of the desired effective permittivity through a global density average, independent of surface feature distributions. To study the AR efficiency of varying transverse feature distributions of ARS on optical surfaces, we methodically simulated and analyzed the performance of pseudo-random deterministic Dammann gratings, acting as a quarter-wave-thickness AR overcoating on a functional binary 50% duty cycle test grating, using rigorous coupled wave analysis. We chose a fused silica dielectric substrate, numerically simulated at normal incidence conditions for both polarizations at 633nm wavelength. The study parameters consisted of Dammann gratings of different orders for evanescent diffraction control, chosen to have effective permittivities comparable to predicted EMA requirements to match AR efficiency, varying periodic scales, and distinct surface distribution autocorrelation scales to control the structure factor. The goal is to elucidate the transition of evanescent coupling orders from the Dammann ARS to the functional test grating, without perturbing the original diffractive performance, while it enhances transmitted overall power efficiency. The simulated results exhibit variations in the performance of candidate designs, signifying the importance of surface feature distributions on the overall efficiency of ARS as an effective antireflection treatment for diffractive components. Not only subwavelength periodicity scales, but nearwavelength scales as well show high transmission efficiency without presence of parasitic orders from the base binary test grating, in contrast to EMA design guidelines.
Deterministic illumination diffractive-diffusers have nonperiodic short and medium-scale topography. Because of the deterministic locations of vertical sidewalls at the phase transition boundaries, over-coating diffractive diffusers with thin-film antireflection layers perturbs their function, resulting in performance deviations and nonuniformities. To mitigate these effects, we added antireflection random nanostructures on the surface of three different classes of fused-silica multiphase diffractive diffusers, using reactive-ion plasma etching. The diffusers were measured before and after the random nanostructures addition, using a polarized-laser scatterometer with a dynamic range of nine orders of magnitude. The bidirectional scatter distribution function was measured over the entire equatorial plane of incidence, to analyze the directionality of scattered light and the impact of the antireflective nanostructure presence on the optical performance of the diffusers. The overall reflectivity suppression was measured across the illumination patterns directions, as well as, across the entire 180-deg angle-sweep. The designed deterministic illumination patterns and their contrast were unaffected by the presence of the random antireflective structures, whereas Fresnel reflectivity was reduced by an order of magnitude on average.
Fresnel reflectivity suppression using random nano-structured surfaces (rARSS) has been investigated by numerous groups in recent years. A variety of measurement methods are used, from simple specular reflection to directional transmission and combinations thereof. In most cases, there is the assumption that the incident irradiance is only divided between specular reflection (R) and on-axis transmission (T), ignoring wavelength-dependent bidirectional scatter radiance distributions that attenuate both on-axis intensities. Broadband spectroscopic measurements over limited surface areas are common, assuming that there is good structure uniformity across the optical surfaces under test. Process development of rARSS requires repetitive functional testing and measurement, which at times is a result of intrusive techniques, such as electron microscopy of sample crossections, albeit in limited surface areas. We explored a double amplitude-division interferometric non-invasive technique, based on a Fabry-Perot etalon/Michelson interferometer (FPE/MI) combined instrument, to extract the absolute specular reflectance and on-axis transmission of single optical surfaces in the midwave to longwave infrared (2.0-12 μm), without sacrificing the samples. The technique was applied to before-and-after rARSS addition on infrared transmissive silicon, gallium arsenide, and germanium windows. The entire FPE/MI test system losses were taken into account, which can be considerable due to differences on sample setup conditions. We determined the interference ordinal-area of the FPE resonances within the MI scanning sub-bands, and extracted single surface values for R and T, which agree with independent spectroscopic measurements. The technique can be applied to large surface areas, limited only by the size of the MI aperture.
Deterministic illumination diffractive-diffusers have non-periodic short and medium scale topography. Because of the quasi-randomized locations and vertical sidewalls at phase transition boundaries, over-coating diffractive diffusers with thin film antireflection layers perturbs their function, resulting in illumination performance deviations and nonuniformities. To mitigate these effects, we added anti-reflection random nano-structures (rARSS) on the surface of three different classes of fused-silica multi-phase diffractive diffusers, using reactive-ion plasma etching. The diffusers were measured before and after the random nanostructure addition, using a polarized-laser scatterometer with a dynamic range of nine orders-of-magnitude. The bi-directional scatter distribution function (BSDF) was measured over the entire equatorial plane of incidence, to analyze the directionality of scattered light, and the impact of the rARSS on the optical performance of the diffusers. An overall Fresnel reflectivity suppression was measured in the directional illumination patterns, as well as, across the entire 180° angle-sweep. The designed deterministic illumination distribution patterns and contrast were unaffected by the presence of the rARSS.
Superresolution phase pupil filters (SRPF) are diffractive optical elements used to direct coherent laser light to spot sizes below the diffraction limit, at the expense of an exponentially reduced Strehl ratio. They can be fabricated as binary or multiphase elements, and have varying transverse-feature pixel dimensions. Because of the wide range of pixel sizes and groupings, ranging from possibly 100’s of microns to submicron, anti-reflection thin-film layered coatings are difficult to implement on SRPF topography without impacting the filter’s phase-distribution function and overall performance efficiency. SRPF elements were implemented on fused silica wafers using standard microlithography, to produce laser beam spots below 50% of the nominal diffraction-limited diameter (Airy spot). Anti-reflection random nano-structures (rARSS) were added on the SRPF substrate surface to enhance the component’s transmittance by reducing Fresnel reflectivity. The SRPF were tested at three laser wavelengths: 543 nm, 594 nm, and 633 nm, using a CCD 2D-array beam profiler before adding the random nanostructures, in order to validate design performance, as well as, after adding rARSS, to quantify transmission enhancement and the impact on beam spot quality and size. An overall reflectance suppression was measured in the illumination pattern, and the superresolution beam spot was not affected by the presence of the rARSS.
Random anti-reflection sub-wavelength structures (rARSS) on optical component surfaces have been shown to enhance transmission by reducing Fresnel reflection. These structures have a broadband anti-reflection effect, and insensitivity to high angle of incidence and polarization. We have fabricated random anti-reflection surface structures on commercially available linear gratings, using reactive ion etching. An overall enhancement was measured in the specular transmission direction, with suppression of the specular reflection to less than 1%, from initial values between 3 to 8% under 1st Bragg angle of incidence, without effecting the diffractive performance of the grating. We studied the effect of these structures on a 1.595 μm period and 1.166 μm period gratings, with and without rARSS, using scattering measurements for polarized light, at normal, 1st Bragg and 2nd Bragg incidence. The directional transmission distribution function (BTDF) was measured over 180 degrees (full field), to analyze the directionality of the scattered light and the impact of the rARSS on the optical performance of the gratings. Correlations of the surface roughness with the individual diffraction order scattering profile and overall BTDF were investigated.
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