title: Diffraction grating with suppressed zero order fabricated using dielectric forces.
abstract: An electric-field-assisted method to produce diffractive optical devices is demonstrated. A uniform film of liquid UV curable resin was produced as a drying ring from an organic solvent. Dielectrophoresis forces maintained the stability of the thin film and also imprinted a periodic corrugation deformation of pitch 20 μm on the film surface. Continuous in situ voltage-controlled adjustment of the optical diffraction pattern was carried out simultaneously with UV curing. A fully cured solid phase grating was produced with the particular voltage-selected tailored optical property that the zero transmitted order was suppressed for laser light at 633 nm.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Gary G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sampara
authors.forename: Emmanouil E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kriezis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fyson
authors.forename: Carl V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Brown