Optical properties of a bio-inspired gradient refractive index polymer lens.
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.
Beadie
G
G
Optical Sciences Division, Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC 20375, USA. guy.beadie@nrl.navy.mil
Shirk
James S
JS
Rosenberg
A
A
Lane
Paul A
PA
Fleet
E
E
Kamdar
A R
AR
Jin
Y
Y
Ponting
M
M
Kazmierczak
T
T
Yang
Y
Y
Hiltner
A
A
Baer
E
E
D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D003315:Cornea; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline; D007909:Lenses; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
D011108:Polymers