Achromats are one of the most commonly used optical components in optical design and engineering. Historically, an achromat is composed of two lenses: a positive crown glass element and a negative flint glass element, cemented together. The compound lens brings at least two wavelengths of light to a common focus along the optical axis. Presented in this paper is the novel implementation of an achromatic singlet made of a single optical material, Zeonex E48R. A customized ray tracing algorithm was used to arrive at the solution while single point diamond turning is used to fabricate a series of prototypes. Axial MTF and chromatic focal shift data are presented alongside two similar comparison lenses: a plano-convex lens and a traditional cemented achromatic doublet. The test results illustrate achromatic performance can be achieved using a single optical material with axial performance that exceeds an incumbent cemented achromat with the same first order properties of focal length and lens diameter. Applications for the new singlet achromatic lens design form include broadband focusing, high laser power uses, and ultraviolet applications where optical cement is not desired. Keywords:
Achromatic diffractive features on lenses are widely used in industry for color correction, however there is not a welldefined standard to quantify the performance of the lenses. One metric used to qualify a lens is the sag deviation from the nominal lens profile. Imperfections in the manufacturing of the diffractive feature may cause scattering and performance loss. This is not reflected in sag deviation measurements, therefore performance measurements are required.
There are different quantitative approaches to measuring the performance of an achromatic diffractive lens. Diffraction efficiency, a measure of optical power throughput, is a common design metric used to define the percent drop from the modulation transfer function (MTF) metric. The line spread function (LSF) shows a layout of the intensity with linear distance and an ensquared energy specification can be implemented. The MTF is a common analysis tool for assemblies and can be applied to a single element. These functional tests will be performed and compared with diffractive lenses manufactured by different tool designs.
This paper displays the results found with various instruments. Contact profilometry was used to inspect the profile of the diffractive elements, and a MTF bench was used to characterize lens performance. Included will be a discussion comparing the results of profile traces and beam profiles to expected diffraction efficiency values and the effects of manufacturing imperfections.
In an optical coating, the thin film engineer must control film thickness and index of refraction to achieve high optical coating performance. While film thickness can generally be controlled with sweeps, sources, and distribution shields, index can be a tougher problem to solve. Often times, contaminants affect the index of refraction of a thin film and cause variations within different portions of the coating chamber leading to poor yield. Presented here is a methodology and case study used to diagnose index of refraction non-uniformity as well as identify the potential sources of contaminants in the system using a combination of Residual Gas Analysis and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.
Finished lens molding, and the similar process of precision lens molding, have long been practiced for high volume, accurate replication of optical surfaces on oxide glass. The physics surrounding these processes are well understood, and the processes are capable of producing high quality optics with great fidelity. However, several limitations exist due to properties inherent with oxide glasses. Tooling materials that can withstand the severe environmental conditions of oxide glass molding cannot easily be machined to produce complex geometries such as diffractive surfaces, lens arrays, and off axis features. Current machining technologies coupled with a limited selection of tool materials greatly limits the type of structures that can be molded into the finished optic.
Tooling for chalcogenide glasses are not bound by these restrictions since the molding temperatures required are much lower than for oxide glasses. Innovations in tooling materials and manufacturing techniques have enabled the production of complex geometries to optical quality specifications and have demonstrated the viability of creating tools for molding diffractive surfaces, off axis features, datums, and arrays. Applications for optics having these features are found in automotive, defense, security, medical, and industrial domains.
This paper will discuss results achieved in the study of various molding techniques for the formation of positive diffractive features on a concave spherical surface molded from As2Se3 chalcogenide glass. Examples and results of molding with tools having CTE match with the glass and non CTE match will be reviewed. The formation of stress within the glass during molding will be discussed, and methods of stress management will also be demonstrated and discussed. Results of process development methods and production of good diffractive surfaces will be shown.
Conference Committee Involvement (12)
Optical Components and Materials XXII
27 January 2025 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XXI
29 January 2024 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XX
30 January 2023 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XIX
24 January 2022 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XVIII
6 March 2021 | Online Only, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XVII
4 February 2020 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XVI
4 February 2019 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XV
29 January 2018 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XIV
30 January 2017 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XIII
15 February 2016 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XII
9 February 2015 | San Francisco, California, United States
Optical Components and Materials XI
3 February 2014 | San Francisco, California, United States
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