Achromatic correction of diffractive dispersion in white light SLM imaging.

In contemporary optics, the spatial light modulator (SLM) is effectively used as a flexible optoelectronic device playing the key role in a number of experiments of science and technology. Its operation is optimal when using almost monochromatic light but an extremely strong diffractive dispersion occurs when white light is applied. In this paper, the design concepts are proposed resulting in optimization and implementation of a refractive corrector cooperating with the SLM. The corrector maintains the operation of the SLM unchanged for the central wavelength of light and ensures an achromatic dispersion compensation throughout the visible region in applications based on a lens-pattern formation. A significant improvement of the imaging performance of the achromatic SLM was proved by the computer simulation and measurement of the chromatic focal shift and the image contrast of the resolution target.