Open AccessDirect rapid-prototyping fabrication of computer-generated volume holograms in the millimeter-wave and terahertz regime
Author(s) -
Wei Ren Ng,
D. R. Golish,
Hao Xin,
Michael E. Gehm
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.003349
Subject(s) - terahertz radiation , holography , optics , fabrication , superposition principle , materials science , refractive index , diffraction efficiency , terahertz spectroscopy and technology , millimeter , diffraction , optoelectronics , volume hologram , physics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
Computer-generated volume holograms (CGVHs) are gradient refractive index (GRIN) devices that consist of a superposition of multiple periodic diffraction gratings. Fabrication of these components for the visible range is difficult due to the small length-scale requirements but is more tenable in the terahertz (THz), as the length scales become more practical (≥ 10 -5 m). We successfully utilized polymer-based 3D additive rapid-prototyping technology to fabricate, to our knowledge, the world's first 3D THz CGVH in approximately 50 minutes, using $12 of consumables. This demonstration suggests that this technique could be extended to fabricate THz volumetric optics with arbitrary electromagnetic profiles.