Diffractive optical element and method of manufacture

A method of using first and second media having first and second surface relief patterns on respective surfaces thereof to manufacture a volume holographic diffractive optical element, said method comprising:

• physically contacting a layer of curable material comprising optical liquid with said first surface relief pattern on said surface of said first medium to thereby imprint said first pattern on a surface of the layer;
• curing said curable material, said curing comprising forming diffractive features comprising refractive index variations in said layer that correspond to said first pattern on said first medium, said forming comprising propagating energy through said first medium and from said first medium into said layer and producing said holographic diffractive optical element through non-interference effects;
• and
• physically contacting said layer of curable material comprising optical liquid with said surface relief features on said surface of said second medium to thereby imprint said second pattern on another surface of the layer such that two surface relief patterns on opposite sides of said layer surround said index of refraction variations.

A method of manufacturing a volume holographic diffractive optical element using a first medium having a first surface relief pattern on a surface thereof and a second medium having a second surface relief pattern on a surface thereof, said method comprising:

• physically contacting one side of a layer of curable material comprising optical liquid with said first surface relief pattern on said surface of said medium to thereby imprint said pattern on said side of the layer;
• physically contacting another side of a layer of curable material with said second surface relief pattern on said surface of said medium to thereby imprint said pattern on said another side of the layer;
• and
• curing said curable material to form said holographic diffractive optical element, said curing comprising forming diffractive features comprising refractive index variations in said layer that correspond to said pattern, said forming comprising propagating energy through said first medium and from said first medium into said layer and producing said diffractive features through non-interference effects.