title: Design of Talbot array illuminators for three-dimensional intensity distributions.
abstract: The self-imaging phenomenon is investigated as the basis for designing diffractive optical elements to generate three-dimensional diffraction patterns. The phase-only diffractive element is related to the intensity distribution at a finite and discrete set of Fresnel diffraction planes by use of the matrix formalism of the fractional Talbot effect. This description provides a framework to determine the degrees of freedom which can be exploited for design. It also helps to identify inherent symmetries of periodic wavefronts, which limit the set of intensity patterns that can be implemented. A simulated annealing algorithm is used to exploit the design freedom. Our discussion includes an example to illustrate observations.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Testorf
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Suleski
authors.forename: Yi-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chuang