Patent ID: 7848206

Claim:
A diffractive optical element comprising: a first diffraction grating; and a second diffraction grating that is located opposite the first diffraction grating; wherein a grating depth of the first diffraction grating is defined so that, with respect to three different wavelength incident light beams, on the first diffraction grating, a diffraction efficiency in one wavelength first order diffraction light beam is approximately zero; wherein the grating depth of the second diffraction grating is defined so that diffraction efficiencies of the first order diffraction light beams of the other two different wavelengths are approximately zeros; wherein a first light beam wavelength of the other two different light beams is approximately two times a second one, and the two of the three different wavelength incident light beams are the longest wavelength beam and the shortest wavelength beam; wherein a refractive index of a space of the first grooved portion is substantially equal to that of the second grooved portion; and a refractive index of a first ungrooved portion having a width obtained when the first grooved portion width is subtracted from a pitch of the first diffraction grating is substantially equal to that of a second ungrooved portion having a width obtained when the second grooved portion width is subtracted from a pitch of the second diffraction grating; and wherein a ratio of the first grooved portion width to the first grating pitch and a ratio of the second grooved portion width to the second grating pitch, are set to respective predetermined values.