Broadband Hybrid Diffusers

Broadband hybrid diffusers are one type of optical components that have significant applications in beam homogenization and beam shaping operations. Similar to a microlens array, a broadband hybrid diffuser also involves a series of lenslets. However, in contrast to microlens arrays, broadband diffusers involve a diffractive component to shape the laser beams. Therefore, the operational principle of a diffractive diffuser is a combination of the diffraction and refraction of light. On the microlens profile, this diffractive component is a small variation added or a low amplitude modulation at a specific frequency that resembles the desired shaping functionality. This is where broadband hybrid diffusers differ from diffractive diffusers that only follow the principle of diffraction.

There is one major aspect where broadband diffusers completely differ from the traditional microlens arrays. While each lenslet in a microlens array has the same radius of curvature, every lenslet in a broadband diffuser has a distinct curvature profile. This is why broadband diffusers are more efficient for complex beam transformations, such as Flat-Top or top-hat beam shaping or any other geometrical shape for the focused spot.

As the dominant operating principle of broadband diffusers is the refraction of light, it contributes to the broadband operation. Along with this, the final beam distribution has no zeroth order, even if the wavelength of the beam reaches the infrared range from the visible range. A broadband diffuser also offers optimum homogenization on a multimode input laser beam.

Broadband hybrid diffusers have a wide variety of medical and industrial applications. Usually, in those applications where it is essential to modify the wide spectrum of the input beam, broadband diffusers are useful. They are also crucial for those applications that require more than a single laser wavelength. Broadband Hybrid diffusers have various scientific and industrial applications, such as double-frequency lasers, high-end laser microscopy, laser projection systems, and aesthetic applications.

The main purpose of broadband hybrid diffusers is to scatter laser beams efficiently and homogenize the beams. These optical components do this by including conventional diffusers as well as diffractive optical elements. Broadband diffusers are efficient in various modern applications where laser beams with uniform distribution patterns are required, across different wavelengths.

Even though different lenslets in a broadband diffuser have different curvatures, one can determine the unique curvature of each lenslet by applying algorithms based on a statistical approach that focuses on the ensemble’s combined effect. While we need to apply modern step-wise lithographic techniques to manufacture a diffractive optical element, manufacturing these optical components requires different treatments. We need specialized techniques and tools to efficiently manufacture broadband diffusers as they have a wide variety of medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Broadband diffusers play a crucial role in these applications by offering beam shaping across different wavelengths and beam homogenization.