Two-dimensional binary phase gratings for zero-order and high-order diffraction suppression

Abstract

A two-dimensional binary phase grating is proposed in this paper. Unlike a conventional transmission grating, in theory, the proposed phase grating can simultaneously eliminate the zero- and high-order diffraction along certain axes on the image plane, forming a pure sinusoidal transmission modulation that leaves only the first-order diffraction. The first-ever, to the best of our knowledge, theoretical model for achieving sinusoidal transmission modulation is suggested in this paper; then the theoretical calculation and experiment results are displayed to investigate the physical mechanism of the proposed grating. Moreover, the manipulation on the arrangement of grating design can disperse or concentrate the diffraction energy at a specific axis. Finally, almost first-order-only diffraction is achieved on a single axis by introducing random changes to certain geometrical parameters of the two-dimensional binary phase grating. Our work provides potential applications in optical science and engineering fields.