Diffraction Gratings 101: Types and Applications @thorlabs

$Diffraction Gratings 101: Types and Applications @thorlabs$

Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

In this talk, Eric Habermann, a Thorlabs optic engineer, covers all there is to know about diffraction gratings and how to select the best type for your application. He will provide a quick overview of gratings, their function, and their usage. He will then transition into providing a deeper level of understanding into what are the different types of gratings available and what benefits and advantages are tied to each. Eric will also target a specific Transmission type called Volume Phase Holographic Grating (VPH), showcasing what capabilities Thorlabs has with this unique technique.

For more webinars, visit thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=13891&ytid=4rjFkESBrLE.

$Diffraction Gratings 101: Types and Applications$

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$How Small Can Lasers Focus? | Optics Explained How small a spot can a laser be focused? When looking at ray diagrams, it can look like the rays always converge to the same point, making an infinitely small spot. In reality, how well a laser beam can be collimated or focused is limited by diffraction. Not all lasers will focus with the same performance. Inside a laser cavity, light can oscillate in many different patterns, which all combine into the beam observed coming from the laser. These oscillation patterns are called “spatial modes”, “transverse modes”, “TEM modes”, or “LP modes” if in an optical fiber. Lasers containing more than one spatial mode are called multimode lasers. Only single-mode lasers, which consist solely of the fundamental TEM00 or LP01 mode, can achieve a diffraction-limited spot when focused. The beams from these single-mode lasers are called Gaussian beams, where their intensity profiles follow Gaussian curves along each axis. The intensity of the beam’s profile tapers off gradually, which can make the beams width harder to define. As a result, the diameter or width of a Gaussian beam is typically defined by where their intensity falls to 1/ e2 of their max intensity. With aberration-free optics, a Gaussian beam’s diffraction-limited spot size depends on its wavelength, its incident 1/ e2 beam diameter, and the effective focal length of the focusing optic. For many objective lenses, focal length may not always be specified in its data sheet, and numerical aperture can be used instead. This assumes that the incident 1/ e2 beam diameter matches the max pupil diameter specification of the objective lens. Smaller focused spots can be achieved using shorter wavelengths. Similarly smaller focused spots are achieved by increasing the incident collimated beam diameter or using a shorter effective focal length optic. In practice, not all elements may achieve this diffraction limit. Optical designs may limit performance in high numerical aperture systems. They can also feature defects due to the manufacturing process used, which can distort or aberrate the beam. This can prevent the beam from focusing to the diffraction-limited spot size and can deform the beam at the focus. When an optical system’s performance does not limit the performance, it’s referred to as “diffraction limited.”$

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