Fabrication of diffractive optical elements using aerosol jet printing technology

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Abstract
We present a maskless method for fabricating transmission-type diffractive optical elements (DOEs) using aerosol jet printing (AJP). To our knowledge, this work represents a systematic proof-of-concept demonstration of AJP for DOE fabrication. Five distinct geometries were directly printed from CAD designs without masks or cleanroom facilities. Structural characterization using atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, profilometry, and XRD confirmed high pattern fidelity. Optical performance under coherent laser illumination showed good qualitative agreement with FFT-based simulations. This approach provides a rapid, cost-effective (<$5persample), and environmentally friendly prototyping method that complements conventional lithography for passive diffractive components.

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