High-speed varifocal imaging with a tunable acoustic gradient index of refraction lens

Fluidic lenses allow for varifocal optical elements, but current approaches are limited by the speed at which focal length can be changed. Here we demonstrate the use of a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) index of refraction lens as a fast varifocal element. The optical power of the TAG lens varies continuously, allowing for rapid selection and modification of the effective focal length at time scales of 1 mus and shorter. The wavefront curvature applied to the incident light is experimentally quantified as a function of time, and single-frame imaging is demonstrated. Results indicate that the TAG lens can successfully be employed to perform high-rate imaging at multiple locations.     

Design of liquid-glass achromatic zoom lens

Optical liquids are ideal materials for designing apochromatic lens due to their lower refractive index and higher Abbe numbers than those of the ordinary optical glasses. Based on the Buchdahl dispersion formula, the dispersion coefficient diagram of liquids and glasses is established. The liquid-glass combination lens(LGCL) with small secondary spectrum is obtained by calculating the combination structure with low dispersion liquid and glasses. The initial optical structure of the liquid-glass apochromatic lens(LGAL) can be obtained by replacing two glass lenses in an initial optical system with the LGCL. Using the multi-configuration optimization of ZEMAX, the liquid-glass achromatic zoom lens (LGAZL) can be designed by optimizing the LGAL. The LGAZL has an objective field of view ?63 mm–?57 mm, an image field of view 8 mm, a working distance 240 mm and the zoom range of focal length 75–85 mm. The chromatic aberration and the secondary spectrum of the LGAZL are all less than 3 μm in the whole zoom range.     

大倍率红外连续变焦系统双电机控制技术研究

采用双电机联动控制变倍组与补偿组的变焦方案替代传统的曲线套筒,实现了采用全透射式结构型式,相对口径为1/4,焦距变化范围为342.76 mm~13.15 mm连续变焦光学镜头的机械补偿式变焦。将变倍组设计成步进模式,作匀速运动,补偿组设计成位置跟踪模式,按凸轮曲线作变速运动,采用双电机全数字伺服控制凸轮（CAM）算法,将光学设计计算的变倍镜和补偿镜位置对应关系转变为对应的脉冲数输入到CAM表中,从而确定2个不同运动速度轴之间的位置对应关系。试验结果表明:双电机控制的变倍组和补偿组位置分辨率达到0.18 m,光轴一致性水平方向达到1.9,垂直方向达到1.3。     

Design and fabrication of fluid controlled dynamic optical lens system

A novel small fluid controlled optical lens system that is capable of displaying dynamic variation of its focal length and field-of-view (FOV) is designed and fabricated. In this active lens system, appropriate volume of the optical fluid can be pumped into or out of the lens chamber to provide double-convex (DCX) or double-concave (DCV) lens effect. Simple optical imaging experiments were performed using different sets of glass lenses with fixed focal lengths to determine the optimum lens configuration required for designing a dynamic optical lens system. The experimental results obtained from the glass lenses demonstrate that a combination of a single DCX lens with three DCV lenses provides a wider FOV. The flexible membranes for fluid controlled lenses were fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane polymer material, which has good optical transparency and elasticity. A simple fluid injection system is used to vary the radius of curvature of the lenses, and thereby to change the focal length. A dynamic optical lens system with a combination of one DCX and multiple variable focal length DCV lenses as designed here can image an object with a wide range of focal length and FOV. With this fluid controlled optical system, the FOV and focal length could be continuously varied and a maximum FOV of 118.3° could be achieved. The smallest f-number (f_/#) for this fluid controlled single lens system was found to be 1.3, which corresponds to the numerical aperture value of 0.35.     

X-ray focusing with compound lenses made from beryllium

We have measured the intensity profile and transmission of x rays focused by a series of biconcave spherical unit lenses fabricated from beryllium. The use of beryllium extends the range of operation of compound refractive lenses, improving transmission, aperture size, and gain. The compound refractive lens was composed of 160 biconcave unit lenses, each with a radius of curvature of 1.9 mm. Two-dimensional focusing with a gain of 1.5 was obtained at 6.5 keV with a focal length of 93 cm. The effective aperture of the compound refractive lens was measured as 600 mum , with 9% peak transmission.     

Effect of secondary lens concentrators on the output parameters of solar modules with cascade photovoltaic converters

The feasibility of increasing the concentration ratio and expanding the misorientation curve using secondary lens elements is considered for solar modules with triple-junction InGaP/GaAs/Ge photovoltaic converters and radiation-concentrating Fresnel lenses. Composite glass-silicone Fresnel lenses measuring 40 × 40 and 60 × 60 mm (plan view) with focal lengths of 70 and 110 mm, respectively, are used as primary concentrators. The focal length of secondary plane-convex glass lenses is varied from 5 to 25 mm. With the shortest-focal-length secondary lenses used, measurements of the parameters of the photovoltaic converter in a system with radiation concentrators that were made with a pulsed solar tester show the increase in the concentration ratio and the expansion of the misorientation curve by a factor of 2.5–3.0. The parameters of test modules with lens panels measured under solar illumination are found to be in good agreement with laboratory data.     

Interferometric focal length measurement of power-distributed lenses

An interferometric method for measuring the focal length of power-distributed lenses is described. The test lens is illuminated by a regular pitch interferometric pattern produced by a reflective diffraction grating interferometer. In order to measure the focal length, a CCD camera digitizes the image of the pattern magnified by the lens, and fast Fourier transformed to reconstruct the phase modulo 2π along each row. The change in spatial frequency is determined by unwrapping the phase along each row of the digitized imaged pattern. The technique is used for measuring the focal length distribution inside the progression corridor of both positive and negative progressive lenses.     

Fabrication of gradient refractive index ball lenses using the method of combination of ion exchanging and sagging

Based on the Fick’s diffusion equations, the distribution function of refractive index of a gradient refractive index ball lens (GRIN ball lens/GBL) is derived. Lithium containing silicate glass is fabricated and GRIN ball lenses (GBLs) which diameters are from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm are made by the method of combination of Ion exchanging and sagging in sodium nitrate. Refractive index profiles of these GBLs are measured by interferometer, and the performances such as effective focal length (EFL), back focal length (BFL) and numerical aperture (NA) between GBLs and homogeneous ball lenses (HBLs) are compared. Results show that the distribution of the index of refraction is parabolic curve and its Δn is about 0.0002, the performances of the former are super to the latter.     

Integrated fluidic adaptive zoom lens

An integrated fluidic adaptive zoom lens is demonstrated for what is believed to be the first time. A zoom lens was fabricated using an UV lithographic-galvanic-like process involving soft lithography and wafer bonding. The zooming capability of such a lens was achieved by varying the focal length instead of the distance between the lenses. A zoom ratio of greater than 2 was obtained for devices that are 8 mm thick and have a 20-mm lens diameter. Including the 30-mm image distance, the total physical length of the fluidic zoom lens was less than 43 mm. More-compact systems with a higher zoom ratio can be obtained by reduction of the aperture size.     

Large‐aperture prism‐array lens for high‐energy X‐ray focusing

A new prism‐array lens for high‐energy X‐ray focusing has been constructed using an array of different prisms obtained from different parabolic structures by removal of passive parts of material leading to a multiple of 2π phase variation. Under the thin‐lens approximation the phase changes caused by this lens for a plane wave are exactly the same as those caused by a parabolic lens without any additional corrections when they have the same focal length, which will provide good focusing; at the same time, the total transmission and effective aperture of this lens are both larger than those of a compound kinoform lens with the same focal length, geometrical aperture and feature size. This geometry can have a large aperture that is not limited by the feature size of the lens. Prototype nickel lenses with an aperture of 1.77 mm and focal length of 3 m were fabricated by LIGA technology, and were tested using CCD camera and knife‐edge scan method at the X‐ray Imaging and Biomedical Application Beamline BL13W1 at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and provided a focal width of 7.7 µm and a photon flux gain of 14 at an X‐ray energy of 50 keV.     

折衍混合光学系统超宽温消热差设计

利用折衍混合结构设计了超宽温范围内的光学被动式消热差Petzval物镜,系统工作波段为3.2～4.5 m,视场角为8.42,焦距为95 mm,后工作距为60.5 mm。使用锗和硅两种材料,引入了2个非球面和1个衍射面, 实现了消热差和结构简单轻量化,该系统在－80～200 ℃范围内, 调制传递函数(MTF) 优于0.7,接近衍射极限, 成像质量良好,该系统适用于像元尺寸为35 m、像元数320240的非制冷红外焦平面阵列探测器。     

一款超薄800万像素手机镜头的设计

为了满足市场对超薄手机镜头的要求,运用光学软件CODEV,结合非球面理论,设计一款新的超薄800万像素手机镜头。该镜头由4片非球面塑料镜片,1片滤光镜片和1片保护玻璃组成,其中第1片透镜是正透镜,第2片镜片是负透镜,第3片镜片是正透镜,第4片镜片是负透镜,且光阑位于第1片透镜的前面。镜头光圈值F为2.4,视场角2为65.5,焦距为3.731 5 mm,后焦距0.31 mm,镜头总长度为4.6 mm,在最高频率1/2处大多数视场的MTF值均大于0.5,畸变小于2% 。     

基于介质上电润湿的微流体变焦透镜的研究进展

近年来,微流体变焦透镜的研究已展示出其在光学系统中的应用前景,其中基于介质上电润湿(Electrowet-ting on dielectric,EWOD)的微流体变焦透镜只需改变外加电压便能快速调节透镜焦距,并且具有尺寸小、结构灵活、功耗低、焦距调节范围广等许多突出优点而日益受到注目。在介绍EWOD机理的基础上,综述了目前基于EWOD的微流体变焦透镜的研究进展。     

Lenticular arrays based on liquid crystals

Lenticular array products have experienced a growing interest in the last decade due to the very wide range of applications they can cover. Indeed, this kind of lenses can create different effects on a viewing image such as 3D, flips, zoom, etc. In this sense, lenticular based on liquid crystals (LC) technology is being developed with the aim of tuning the lens profiles simply by controlling the birefringence electrically. In this work, a LC lenticular lens array has been proposed to mimic a GRIN lenticular lens array but adding the capability of tuning their lens profiles. Comb control electrodes have been designed as pattern masks for the ITO on the upper substrate. Suitable high resistivity layers have been chosen to be deposited on the control electrode generating an electric field gradient between teeth of the same electrode. Test measurements have allowed us to demonstrate that values of phase retardations and focal lengths, for an optimal driving waveform, are fairly in agreement. In addition, results of focusing power of tuneable lenses were compared to those of conventional lenses. The behaviour of both kinds of lenses has revealed to be mutually similar for focusing collimated light and for refracting images.     

Rapid fabrication of mini droplet lens array with tunable focal length

A rapid and cost-effective method for fabricating mini lens arrays is proposed. The lenses are made of silicone oil droplets and filled inside a polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) elastomer. The lens arrays of different initial focal lengths and apertures can be fabricated by using the droplets of different volumes. Due to good elastic behavior of PDMS, the droplet lenses can be flexibly deformed, and the focal length and numerical aperture can be tuned by applying an external force on the PDMS elastomer. Furthermore, an apparatus for focal length tuning is designed and employed in the imaging system.     

基于PDMS基片的可变焦柱透镜

设计并制作了一种基于聚二甲基硅氧烷（Polydimethylsiloxane,PDMS）基片的可变焦微型柱透镜。这种柱透镜主要由一根埋入PDMS基片中的玻璃毛细管构成,通过选择毛细管内液体的折射率实现变焦功能。液体折射率为1.451 8～1.550 2时,柱透镜焦距可由21.369 mm减小到3.362 mm,变焦倍数达到6.4倍。用散射光成像方法观察并拍摄了平行光通过这种可变焦柱透镜后的光线轨迹图;用ZEMAX光学设计软件摸拟了成像过程,模拟结果和实验图像相符;用高斯光学的逐次成像方法推导出了这种柱透镜的焦距公式,焦距的计算结果和实验以及模拟结果吻合。PDMS基片中可变焦微型柱透镜的成功制作,为＂芯片上的实验室＂提供了一种重要的光学成像元件。     

变焦结构光成像系统的光学设计

为了实现快速低成本改变光学系统焦距,设计了基于液体透镜的变焦结构光三维成像镜头和微透镜阵列。系统采用7片球面玻璃镜片和1片液体透镜结构, F#为3.2,全视场大小为10 mm,总长180 mm,焦距变化范围54 mm~61 mm。结果表明:该系统能实现投影距离227 mm~256 mm调节,调焦过程中目标表面清晰,细节分辨率高,系统在整个变焦区域内,在40 lp/mm时,全视场MTF优于0.2,系统场曲小于0.2,畸变小于0.2%。柱面微透镜阵列整体尺寸为10 mm×10 mm,周期宽度为1 mm,厚度为1 mm。随着投影距离的增长,光学系统成像质量先上升后下降,在237 mm处成像质量最优,随着投影距离的增加,光学系统的放大倍率增大,光学系统整体相对照度不均匀性小于0.2。     

Aberration analyses for liquid zooming lenses without moving parts

Liquid lenses with an adjustable focal length are of particular interest for their potential applications in compact imaging or zooming systems. We have analyzed the aberrations for liquid zooming lenses and compared them with those of traditional lenses. Based on the 3rd order aberration theory, possible structures for the liquid zooming lens without moving mechanism were determined. We showed that a two-group liquid lens system is the simplest one that contains no moving mechanical parts and has enough parameters to correct all chromatic aberrations for any focal length and most monochromatic aberrations for certain focal lengths.     

新面型短程透镜的制备研究

根据解析理论新的精确公式进行设计并用单点金刚石超精切削加工制备,研制出一种优化的非球凹面短程透镜.透镜含光滑无奇点圆边,与平面连接的边缘曲率半径为无限大.样品制备在45×20×2.5mm3的LiNbO3衬底上,每片有两个孔径8mm、焦距8mm的无球差非球面短程透镜,利用670nm波长的半导体激光器端面耦合入样品一端,在另一端测得焦点光斑半宽度为2.9μm.     

二元变焦内窥镜光学系统设计

根据高斯光学原理,以液体透镜为核心元件,研究了无移动镜组变焦系统的设计方法。从医用内窥镜的使用要求出发,设计了一种二元变焦内窥镜系统。该系统可通过气压或液压控制液体透镜表面曲率变化,实现1.5倍变倍比,在1.8 mm和2.7 mm焦距下都获得了良好的成像质量。