title: Polarization-insensitive high-dispersion total internal reflection diffraction gratings.
abstract: We report the first experimental realization of total internal reflection (TIR) diffraction gratings. Performance of less than 0.7-dB insertion loss (IL) for both TE and TM polarizations and 0.5-dB polarization-dependent loss (PDL) are predicted over a 50-nm spectral bandwidth with simultaneous fabrication tolerances on the depth and the duty cycle of binary gratings of +/-5% and +/-14%, respectively. Nineteen gratings were fabricated that met these specifications, yielding IL and PDL values less than 0.6 and 0.2 dB, respectively, across the entire 50-nm bandwidth. Measurements made under the Littrow configuration resulted in high efficiency and low PDL across a 100-nm bandwidth, with up to 100% diffraction efficiency within the experimental measurement error.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA. johnm@lle.rochester.edu
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marciante
authors.forename: Jeffrey I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Hirsh
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Raguin
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Prince