Diffractive elements for imaging optical systems

The problems and prospects of using diffractive elements with a sawtooth relief-phase microstructure in imaging optical systems are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to minimizing the adverse side effect of diffraction orders on the quality of the image formed by an optical system with a diffractive element due to the change-over from single-layer microstructures to structures containing several layers and reliefs. Requirements are formulated for the design parameters of the microstructure and operating conditions of diffractive elements in optical systems that ensure no visible halo caused by adverse diffraction orders. It is shown by a number of examples that the use of a diffractive element in a plastic-lens imaging optical system corrects chromatic aberrations and provides high resolution in the generated image.