ABSTRACT
What is binary optics? There is no strict definition because, as a result of the historical development of the
field, binary optics means different things to different people. The first element, which was referred to by
the term “binary optics,” was formally presented in 1980 (Veldkamp 1980). In this laser radar application,
the binary optic device shown in Figure 17.1 split a single laser beam into multiple beams, each of which
was used as a local oscillator for photomixing. The design of the element was based on a combination of
communications theory and scalar diffraction theory, the fabrication was achieved using computer-
generated data and VLSI fabrication techniques, and the resulting element was truly a binary surface-relief
structure. Since this original element, however, the field has expanded inmany directions. Designmethods
currently range from classical lens design to the numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations, application
areas run the gamut from the entertainment industry to medical products to military missions, and
fabrication technologies can be as diverse as diamond turning and ion milling. In addition, modern-day
binary optic devices are usually multilevel or continuous surface reliefs, rather than strictly binary, as in the
original application. The “binary” in the name, however, is still relevant because a binary coding technique
is used to extend the original fabrication method to create the current multilevel profiles.
