High-quality phase plates verify a 3D printing workflow that reduces fabrication time of self-manufactured DOEs

Abstract

Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are expensive devices that are integrated into optical set-ups to controllably engineer the shape and amplitude of light. A low-cost alternative is the self-manufacturing with 3D printing technology, but defects are regularly introduced due to limited printing resolution. The fabrication process becomes less challenging when the DOE dimensions are scaled up > 100 times by immersing a DOE in a solution that nearly matches its refractive index. However, this trick significantly increases the fabrication time as well. Here, we present two different phase plates, produced with a workflow that can be executed in one working day, whereby one phase plate did not lose any functionality or quality. The point spread function (PSF) with and without the phase plates was simulated and subsequently measured to assess the phase plate performance. In addition, the devices could be easily implemented in our microscope set-up, implying the extensive applicability of DOEs.