Abstract

Multilayered diffraction gratings are an essential component in many optical devices due to their ability to engineer light. We propose a first-order optimization strategy to maximize diffraction efficiencies of such structures by a fast approximation of the underlying boundary integral equations for polarized electromagnetic fields. A parametric representation of the structure interfaces via trigonometric functions enables the problem to be set as a parametric optimization one while efficiently representing complex structures. Derivatives of the efficiencies with respect to geometrical parameters are computed using shape calculus, allowing a straightforward implementation of gradient descent methods. Examples of the proposed strategy in chirped pulse amplification show its efficacy in designing multilayered gratings to maximize their diffraction efficiency. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America