title: Optical properties of a bio-inspired gradient refractive index polymer lens.
abstract: The design, fabrication, and properties of one of a new class of gradient-index lenses are reported. The lens is an f/2.25 GRIN singlet based on a nanolayered polymer composite material, designed to correct for spherical aberration. The light gathering and focusing properties of the polymer lens are compared to a homogeneous BK7 glass singlet with a similar f-number. The modulation transfer function of the polymer GRIN lens exceeded that of the homogeneous glass lens at all spatial frequencies and was as much as 3 times better at 5 cyc/mm. The weight of the polymer lens was approximately an order of magnitude less than the homogeneous glass lens.
authors.affiliation: Optical Sciences Division, Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC 20375, USA. guy.beadie@nrl.navy.mil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beadie
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shirk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleet
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kamdar
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ponting
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazmierczak
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiltner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baer
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D003315:Cornea; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline; D007909:Lenses; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers