title: Lens axicons in oblique illumination.
abstract: Lens axicons, i.e., lenses or lens systems designed to work like axicons, can be a simple and inexpensive way of generating the characteristic axicon focal line. In the design of most lens axicons, only on-axis properties have been considered. We present the design of a lens axicon with improved off-axis characteristics. It is constructed from a singlet lens but with a double-pass feature that allows for a line of uniform width and a stop positioned to minimize aberrations. We perform off-axis analysis and experiments for this system and for another lens axicon, one designed for its on-axis characteristics. We conclude that the off-axis performance of the double-pass axicon is better than both that of an ordinary cone axicon and that of the other lens axicon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. anna.burvall@nuigalway.ie
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burvall
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kołacz
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Goncharov
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jaroszewicz
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dainty