ABSTRACTArrays of miniature focusing optics located at the focal plane can improve the performance of focal plane systems. By more completely collecting the light at the focal plane and concentrating it into a smaller spot size on the detector plane, the photodetector area can be substantially reduced. Increased gamma radiation hardening and noise reduction result from the decrease in photodetector surface area. Binary optics technology, a process for fabricating large arrays of diffractive optical elements, is especially attractive for infrared materials. In this paper, diffractive Fresnel microlens arrays containing over six thousand F/0.9 lenslets are patterned in the surface of CdTe substrates by successive photolithographic and Ar+ ion-beam-etching steps. Results on smaller arrays of monolithically integrated binary-optics lenslets with II-VI detectors, demonstrating enhanced photodetector responsivities, are presented for the first time.
Implementing optical phased array beam steering with cascaded microlens arrays