Diffractive focusing fan-out element for the parallel DNA sequencer

Abstract

Various issues of creation of diffractive optical elements transforming one laser beam with small divergence to a matrix of converging beams with a diffraction size of focused spots in the plane of object illumination and their application for problems of DNA sequencing and microscopy are considered. The parameters of diffractive elements are calculated and optimized in the approximation of the Fresnel–Kirchhoff diffraction theory. Diffractive elements are fabricated by the method of direct laser writing on a photoresist by using a circular laser writing system. Experimental characteristics of a diffractive element creating a matrix consisting of 33 × 33 beams, which are focused in one plane at a distance of 210 mm, are presented. The degree of nonuniformity of beam intensities determined by the ratio of beam intensities in the central region to intensities of peripheral beams is 1/2.5, which is potentially sufficient to be used in DNA sequencing problems. The maximum distortions of spot positions in the entire focusing field is <0.15%.