Abstract

Optical elements in which the power is shared appropriately between a refractive and a diffractive component offer several significant advantages over conventional lenses. For example, these hybrid lenses can be used in place of the usual achromatic doublet, offering a similar level of performance with approximately half the quantity of material ^[1]. Such elements are particualrly attractive in infra-red systems where the material forms a significant proportion of overall cost, and mass is often a crucial consideration. Moreover, it is possible to manufacture structures which exhibit useful diffraction efficiencies at infra-red frequencies ^[2-4]. The paper discusses the design of infra-red systems which include hybrid components in the form of singlet lenses with a blazed zone plate on one surface.

© 1990 Optical Society of America