Diffractive Optics and Optical Microsystems

There is a consistent trend towards miniaturization of deviees and systems in many fields of engineering in order to achieve significant reductions in size weight power consumption and cost. This trend is especially evident in optics and optoelectronics where recent years have seen rapid growth in such new or renewed areas as rnicrooptics integrated optics integrated optoelectronics and diffractive optics. In November 1996 an international group of scientists convened in Eriee Sicily for a meeting on the subject of \Diffractive Opties and Optieal Mierosystems.\ This Conference was the 20th Course of the International School of Quantum Electronies under the auspices of the \Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture\ and was directed by Prof. Franeo Gori of the Third University of Rome Italy and Prof. Giancarlo Righini of the \Nello Carrara\ Institute of Research on Electromagnetic Waves (IROE-CNR) in Florence Italy. This book presents the Proceedings of this Conference providing a fundamental introduction to the topie as weIlas reports on recent research results.