Several design-concepts are presented for so-called efficiency achromatized diffractive optical elements (EA-DOEs) possessing a diffraction efficiency larger than 97% over a broad spectral range. We start with tracing two different methods for surface relief profiles well known from the literature: common depth and multilayer EA-DOEs. Successively we present the following new approaches together with design parameters and performance properties: 1) gradient-index EA-DOEs, 2) sub-wavelength EA-DOEs, and 3) a so-called cut-and-paste strategy. All designs are based on scalar assumptions and certain necessary dispersion relations of two different materials. The scalar assumption is no real limitation as the minimum zone width of our main application, the correction of chromatic aberrations, is 50. .. 100 times the wavelength. From aforementioned relations, design parameters as profile heights are derived and the resulting diffraction efficiency can be deduced. Moreover, for the multilayer and for the GRIN EA-DOEs we are able to show that if the dispersion relations of the materials can be accurately described by second order Cauchy series, the efficiency becomes generic and will be the same regardless of which materials are chosen.

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Perfect blazing with echelle gratings in a high-order Littrow mount exists not only with TM polarization, as can perhaps be assumed, but also with TE and TM polarizations simultaneously. This finding contradicts with a heuristic explanation as to why perfect blazing is not possible simultaneously in TE and TM polarizations given by Loewen and Popov [Diffraction Gratings and Applications (Marcel Dekker, 1997)]. As a matter of fact, in the ideal case of infinite conductivity, light is diffracted in the Littrow order with 100% efficiency for both polarization states. For metal gratings, a small loss occurs. Three conditions are necessary for perfect blazing: (A) the apex angle must be very close to 90°, (B) a specific Littrow order has to be used, and (C) the blaze angle has to be 4° to 6° larger than the Littrow angle. The last property is particularly intriguing because typically the difference between the two angles is smaller than 1.0°.

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