Volume holographic optical elements for imaging with reduced aberrations

A method of fabricating a transmission mode composite lens (CL), comprising:

• interfering a first plurality of N collimated reference beams at N different recording angles rotated about a surface normal to a first recording media to lie in N different planes rotated relative to each other by the N different recording angles with a first plurality of N object beams parallel to the surface normal at N different wavelengths to record a first plurality of N interference patterns that define a first diffraction pattern on the first recording media to form a first transmission mode volume holographic grating (VHOE1), said first diffraction pattern configured to receive broadband light on-axis along the surface normal and deflect through transmission light at the plurality of N different wavelengths and non-overlapping bands at the N different recording angles to the surface normal to form N off-axis output beams that lie in the N different planes to separate the output beams and reduce cross-talk between the N different wavelengths;
• and
• interfering a second plurality of N collimated reference beams at the at the N different recording angles rotated about a surface normal to a second recording media to lie in N different planes rotated relative to each other by the N different recording angles with a second plurality of N object beams parallel to the surface normal at the N different wavelengths to record a second plurality of N interference patterns that define a second diffraction pattern on the second recording media to form a second transmission mode VHOE2, said second diffraction pattern configured to accept the N off-axis output beams from the N different planes and to form through diffraction an on-axis output beam including the N different wavelengths and non-overlapping bandwidths to form an image,
• wherein one of said first and second plurality of N object beams is collimated and the other is non-collimated and shaped so that one of said first or second diffraction patterns provides optical power to magnify the light to form the image.

A transmission mode lens, a first composite lens (CL) comprising:

• a first transmission mode volume holographic optical element (VHOE1) comprising a first recording media and a first diffraction pattern including a plurality of N interference patterns recorded on said first recording media at a plurality of N different recording angles rotated about a surface normal to the VHOE for N different wavelengths, respectively, said first diffraction pattern configured to receive broadband light on-axis along the surface normal to the VHOE1 and deflect through transmission light at the N different wavelengths into N different planes rotated relative to each other by the N recording angles to separate N off-axis output beams to reduce cross-talk between the N different wavelengths;
• and
• a second transmission mode volume holographic optical element (VHOE2) comprising a second recording media and a second diffraction pattern including a plurality of N interference patterns recorded on said second recording media at the plurality of N different recording angles rotated about a surface normal to the VHOE2 for the N different wavelengths, respectively, said second diffraction pattern configured to accept the N off-axis output beams from the N different planes and to form through diffraction an on-axis output beam to form an image,
• wherein one of said first or second diffraction patterns provides optical power to magnify the light in the bandwidth about the known wavelength to form the image.