Applicability of the Kirchhoff method to the problem of synthesis of planar optical grating (Q1111001)

The applicability range of the Kirchhoff approximation to inverse problems of planar optics is investigated. An effective algorithm is constructed which calculates the dispersion diagram of a finite diffraction grating in an electrodynamic approximation. When the grating constant is comparable to the wavelength, the Kirchhoff and Fresnel approximations are shown to be no longer capable of yielding a diffraction pattern equivalent to experimental observations. The model proposed in the paper could be used for calculations in the design of beam dividers, couplers, antireflective shaped coatings, etc.