Modern lens designs for digital sensors, such as those required in medium volumes for cinematography, often require the use of one or two high departure aspheric surfaces. With departures from best fit sphere of up to a few millimeters, the use of such surfaces are accompanied by a number of consequences: high cost metrology, very tight opto-mechanical tolerances and image artifacts due to the sub-aperture grinding and polishing process. Previously we examined the use of multiple aspheric surfaces with very low departures from best fit sphere (BFS) and concluded that advantages may be gained in standard and telephoto lenses, but not in wide angle lens designs1. In this work we consider the potential benefits of low departure aspheric surfaces, as applied to wide angle lenses in particular. We review the number, placement, and nature of aspheric surfaces in some wide angle lens design examples, and look at the potential to redesign with an increased number of low departure aspheric surfaces that have the potential to be manufactured without the need for computer generated holograms (CGH’s). The use and limitations of modern interferometers capable of measuring aspheric surfaces without the use of CGH’s will be considered. In one example we examine the performance, manufacturing, and cost perspective, paying particular attention to testing and mechanical alignment tolerances.
High performance, compact cinematography lenses working over a large sensor area are demanding designs which are achieved using one or two high departure aspheric elements. With sag departures from best fit sphere of up to a few millimeters, the use of such aspheres is accompanied by a number of consequences. These include high cost metrology, very tight opto-mechanical tolerances and the potential for image artifacts produced during the sub-aperture grinding and polishing process. A modified asphere manufacturing process was utilized to reduce artifacts by eliminating the subaperture grinding and pre-polishing. This method is limited to aspheric surfaces which can be directly polished from a spherical base surface with aspheric departures of <15μm. These very low departure aspheres have the benefit of inexpensive metrology and tolerance relaxation compared with high departure aspheres. Interferograms, slope maps, and out-of-focus images demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of direct asphere generation from a polished sphere. A series of large format lenses covering focal lengths from telephoto to wide angle, were redesigned to determine the feasibility of the use of very low departure aspheres. Increasing the number of aspheric surfaces but reducing the aspheric departure to less than 15μm was demonstrated. We conclude that 3-5 very low departure aspheres are sufficient to provide similar performance to the high departure asphere designs for most focal lengths. One limitation encountered was in the wide angle lenses. The exception was the wide angle lenses where it is difficult to reduce departures below 30μm while maintaining the same optical performance.
Although hybrid ( i.e. refractive-diffractive ) surfaces are in common use in optical design there are several
phenomena which affect design MTF that are not routinely modeled in current commercial versions of optical
design software. Typically the details of the diffractive structure are not taken into account and rays are traced
through the hybrid surface employing a vector grating equation which uses the phase gradient associated with
the diffractive definition to calculate a local grating spacing and orientation and from this grating information
a 'diffracted ray' angle. This geometrical-optics based procedure has limitations; (1)it considers only the design
diffraction order, (2)it does not take into account the sub-aperturing effect whereby color correction is reduced
along with zone count , and (3) the model used does not generate an exact blaze profile. In this paper we discuss
progress in application of diffraction-based beam propagation tools in combination with a physical definition of
the diffractive structure to more accurately model these secondary effects on design MTF. Results are given for
some simple lenses and also the effects to be expected for a more complex zoom lens.
Walter Mandler (1922-2005) designed many double Gauss lenses for Leica cameras. We review; form and aberration
balance for his most renowned lenses. Designs are re-evaluated using modern optimisation routines with
special attention to glass replacement.
Techniques for illumination of Digital Micro-mirror Devices (DMD's) are reviewed and evolution of the illumination design discussed by example over three generations of system. The use of a TIR prism for illumination and imaging beam combining is explained and equations for definition of the prism block provided.
Pilkington Optronics have a wide experience in designing IR optical system to meet harsh military environments. Success relies on close co-operation between optical and mechanical designers. This paper reviews and discusses some of the considerations and opto-mechanical trade-offs that must be made when designing IR systems for such environments.
The requirement for multi-sensor systems continues to expand in many areas of electro-optics. For defence applications, an increasing need to combine visual and infrared (IR) imagery in compact configurations drives advances in material processing and coating technology. This paper reviews the materials required for such systems, highlights the importance of optical coatings, and describes coating developments at Pilkington Optronics St. Asaph site.
The design of a large infrared refractive re-imager for use in the 3 - 5 micron waveband is described. Comparisons are made with designing for the longer 8 - 12 micron waveband. In particular, key design aspects of achromatization, athermalization, thermal gradients, and manufacturing sensitivity, have been emphasized.
This paper describes some of the key parameters that have been considered for the European Satellite Interorbital Link EXperiment (SILEX) optical relay lens design. Particular attention has been given to the specific requirement of transmit/receive beams co-alignment. The method of evaluating co-alignment errors is described and the effect of manufacturing tolerances and environmental long term stability on the co-alignment error investigated.
An overview of prismatic anamorphic beam expander (ABE) design requirements for free space laser diode communications is presented. Methods of achieving both fixed and variable magnification devices are described, and design characteristics are compared. The design methods are shown to be valid for the particular requirements of optical intersatellite links. Both fixed and variable magnification designs are demonstrated to be capable of meeting the primary optical requirements. For fixed magnifications, the preferred solution in terms of CAD, reflection losses, and material tolerances has a beam deviation of 6.1 deg, usually considered unacceptable because system layout has already been fixed.
The detailed component stability requirements for relays are derived via system stability specifications for an optical intersatellite link. The significance of the transmit/receive coalignment stability is discussed in relation to the optomechanical design of a key subassembly. The requirement for transmit/receive coalignment stability is shown to be particularly stringent in respect to short-term stability at the component level. The system level specification is achievable, but the ability to achieve still greater stabilities results in a conflict between short- and long-term stability.
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