Freeform imaging systems: Fermat's principle unlocks "first time right" design

Fabian Duerr; Hugo Thienpont

doi:10.1038/s41377-021-00538-1

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Freeform imaging systems: Fermat's principle unlocks "first time right" design

Articles

- Freeform imaging systems: Fermat's principle unlocks "first time right" design
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 10, Issue 6, Pages: 1029-1040(2021)
- Affiliations：
  
  Brussels Photonics, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics (B-PHOT TONA) Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Author bio：
  
  Fabian Duerr (fduerr@b-phot.org)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-021-00538-1
  CLC：
- Published：30 June 2021，
  
  Published Online：06 May 2021，
  
  Received：26 October 2020，
  
  Revised：07 April 2021，
  
  Accepted：18 April 2021
- Accepted：
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Duerr, F. & Thienpont, H. Freeform imaging systems: Fermat's principle unlocks "first time right" design. Light: Science & Applications, 10, 1029-1040 (2021).
DOI：

Duerr, F. & Thienpont, H. Freeform imaging systems: Fermat's principle unlocks "first time right" design. Light: Science & Applications, 10, 1029-1040 (2021). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-021-00538-1.

摘要

Abstract

For more than 150 years

scientists have advanced aberration theory to describe

analyze and eliminate imperfections that disturb the imaging quality of optical components and systems. Simultaneously

they have developed optical design methods for and manufacturing techniques of imaging systems with ever-increasing complexity and performance up to the point where they are now including optical elements that are unrestricted in their surface shape. These so-called optical freeform elements offer degrees of freedom that can greatly extend the functionalities and further boost the specifications of state-of-the-art imaging systems. However

the drastically increased number of surface coefficients of these freeform surfaces poses severe challenges for the optical design process

such that the deployment of freeform optics remained limited until today. In this paper

we present a deterministic direct optical design method for freeform imaging systems based on differential equations derived from Fermat's principle and solved using power series. The method allows calculating the optical surface coefficients that ensure minimal image blurring for each individual order of aberrations. We demonstrate the systematic

deterministic

scalable

and holistic character of our method with catoptric and catadioptric design examples. As such we introduce a disruptive methodology to design optical imaging systems from scratch

we largely reduce the "trial-and-error" approach in present-day optical design

and we pave the way to a fast-track uptake of freeform elements to create the next-generation high-end optics. We include a user application that allows users to experience this unique design method hands-on.

关键词

Keywords

references

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