Optimisation of guided-mode resonance and Bragg gratings designed using rigorous diffraction theory

We consider the implementation of several standard optical components by means of diffraction gratings. The motivation depends on the particular grating employed. A binary surface relief grating, in fused silica, for example, may provide greater robustness than, say, a multi-layer thin film. This is significant for high power laser systems. Alternatively, gratings manifesting the so-called guided-mode resonance (GMR) [1], or resonance type Wood anomaly, are of interest because ideally they give a very high performance for certain optical functions.