RESEARCH INTERESTS

Diffractive Optics

Diffractive optics: Traditional optics (mirrors, lenses, etc.) are expensive, massive, and can be spatially large while a diffractive optic offers the opportunity to reduce the large mirrors of any spaceborne instrument to a negligible thickness. Plastic membranes have been fabricated on silicon molds with diffractive optic structures. The thickness of these plastic membranes ~50 μm have nanostructures with optical properties to focus light as refractive lenses. The beauty of this concept is that once the diffractive optic is deployable, it is applicable to nearly every instrument (lidar, imager, spectrometer, etc.), at every possible wavelength (X-ray to millimeter, possibly further), and can yield a significant size and weight, and potentially even power reduction (SWaP) to enable new form factors for the majority of spaceborne instruments.