Optimal multicriteria approach to the iterative Fourier transform algorithm

We propose a unified approach to the multicriteria design of diffractive optics. A multicriteria version of the direct binary search that allows the user to adjust the compromise between the diffraction efficiency and the signal-to-noise ratio already exists. This technique has proved to be extremely powerful but also very time consuming. We extend this multicriteria approach to the iterative Fourier transform algorithm, which helps to reduce the computation time dramatically, especially for multilevel domains. Simulations as well as experimental validations are provided. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America