Analytic design and solutions for resonance domain diffractive optical elements.

A model for designing and analyzing complicated surface relief diffractive elements in the resonance domain is developed. It is based on subdividing the complicated diffractive element into many highly efficient local diffraction gratings whose surface relief modulations can be effectively characterized as slanted volume gratings for which closed form analytic solutions exist. The model is illustrated by finding in the resonance domain the local period, effective slant angle, and groove depth at each location on an off-axis cylindrical diffractive lens.