Abstract
First-order perturbation theory is used to describe diffractive optical elements. This method provides an extension of Kirchhoff’s thin element approximation. In particular, the perturbation approximation considers propagation effects due to a finite depth of diffractive structures. The perturbation method is explicitly applied to various problems in diffractive optics, mostly related to the analysis of surface-relief structures. As part of this investigation this approach is compared with alternative extensions of the thin element model. This comparison illustrates that perturbation theory allows a consistent unified treatment of many diffraction phenomena, preserving the simplicity of Fourier optics.
© 1999 Optical Society of America
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