Diffractive waveplate lenses for correcting aberrations and polarization-independent functionality

• US 10,120,112 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beam Engineering For Advanced Measurements Co., United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, U.S. Government
• Original Assignee: Beam Engineering For Advanced Measurements Co., The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Tabirian, Nelson V., Roberts, David E., Steeves, Diane M., Kimball, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Bumsuk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Wen
• Application Number:
  US14/688,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 35948907
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1618 Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1654 Diffractive lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4205 having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4211 correcting chromatic aberrations G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4216 correcting geometrical aberrations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4261 having a diffractive element with major polarization dependent properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0081 having one or more elements with analytic function to create variable power variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/001 Axicons, waxicons, reflaxicons
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1828 having means for producing variable diffraction controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1833 comprising birefringent materials birefringent elements per se G02B5/3083
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/024 with polarisation maintaining properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3534 the optical element being diffractive, i.e. a grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3592 Means for removing polarization dependence of the switching means, i.e. polarization insensitive switching light guides coupling with polarization selective and adjusting means G02B6/27
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/022 Ophthalmic lenses having special refractive features achieved by special materials or material structures G02C7/049 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/061 Spectacle lenses with progressively varying focal power
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/10 : Filters, e.g. for facilitating adaptation of the eyes to the dark; Sunglasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 : Polarisers

Abstract

Diffractive waveplate lenses, devices, systems and methods of fabricating and manufacturing lenses for correcting spherical and chromatic aberrations of diffractive waveplate lenses and refractive lenses, by using nonlinear patterning of anisotropy axis of birefringent layers comprising the diffractive waveplate lenses, and their combinations and for obtaining polarization-independent functionality of diffractive waveplate lenses.

Claims

1. A spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film, comprising:

an optical substrate; and

at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that an optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and said optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

2. The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 1, wherein the at least one birefringent material layer includes at least two birefringent material layers, wherein the nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in the plane of said at least one birefringent material layer of the optical axis orientation angle is different for the at least two birefringent material layers allowing to control at least one of:

effective focal length, spherical aberrations and spectrum of diffraction efficiency of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film.

3. The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 2, wherein coverage areas of the at least two birefringent material layers on said optical substrate are different allowing to control at least one of:

distribution of focusing power, diffraction efficiency spectrum and aberration of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film over an area of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film.

4. The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 3 wherein the at least one birefringent material layer is selected based on at least one of the nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in the plane of said at least one birefringent material layer of the optical axis orientation angle and sizes of said at least one birefringent material layer to provide progressively varying focusing power of said at least one birefringent material layer over said optical substrate.

5. The spherical aberration diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 1 wherein full-wave phase retardation of said at least one birefringent material layer is selected to provide for no diffraction efficiency for a predetermined wavelength or range of wavelengths.

6. An optical system comprising:

two or more diffractive waveplate lenses positioned at a predetermined distances from each other, the two or more diffractive waveplate lenses including an optical substrate with at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that the optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and said optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

7. The optical system of claim 6 wherein said position of the at least two diffractive waveplate lenses diffracts polarized light to a same point focus or a line focus.

8. The optical system of claim 7 wherein said position of the at least two diffractive waveplate lenses diffracts light of any polarization to the same point focus or the line focus such that an effective focal length of the optical system is the same for light of any polarization.

9. The optical system of claim 8 further comprising:

a refractive imaging system.

10. The optical system as in claim 9 wherein both a spherical and a chromatic aberration of said refractive imaging system are corrected.

11. The optical system as in claim 9 further comprising a light source.

12. The optical system as in claim 11 wherein a predetermined portion of a light power provided by said light source is focused.

13. An optical device for imaging, communication and solar concentrator applications comprising:

a flat mirror;

a quarter-wave phase retarder film deposited on said mirror; and

a diffractive waveplate lens deposited on said quarter-wave phase retarder film, the diffractive waveplate lens including an optical substrate with at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that an optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and the optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

14. The optical device as in claim 13 wherein the flat mirror, the quarter-wave phase retarder film and the diffractive waveplate lens are broadband.